Collett Team Set Sail for the Caribbean
It’s not everyday you get asked to go on a trip to the Caribbean, especially not carrying two 89 Tonne diesel engines!
The project required the shipment and delivery of two diesel engines and six boilers to the Lowmans Bay Power Plant on the island of St Vincent in the Caribbean. Once on the island, transportation from the Port of Campden Park Bay was only a short distance of 2.1km but due to the size and weight of the loads the expertise of Collett was called upon to facilitate the project.
The planning began months ahead of the move, after all we were undertaking a job at the other side of the world and every detail had to be meticulously scrutinised to ensure a smooth operation from beginning to end.
The loads were situated at separate manufacturing points therefore the Collett Team organised for the consolidation of the entire shipment at the Port of Hamburg. Once all loads were consolidated at port the diesel engines and the four boilers were loaded to the geared vessel chartered by Collett and she set sail for the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean. Travelling in the same vessel, Collett’s ten axle Scheuerle self propelled modular transporter (SPMT) and Power Pack, ready to accept the loads and deliver to Lowmans Bay Power Plant.
Arriving safely in the Caribbean, all six loads were successfully offloaded one by one prepared for transportation in sequence.
Having already undertaken a site visit and assessed the suitability of the proposed route Collett’s Team had liaised with local authorities and organised cable lifting teams to ensure safe passage for the SPMT and its cargo. The next hurdle came in the form of a small bridge in the village of Campden Park. Identified during the planning stages by the Collett Team, the bridge was structurally intact but would require additional support to allow safe passage. Ahead of the move, the Team had braced the bridge which would provide sufficient support to prevent compromising the cargo, the SPMTs and avoid any damage to the bridge itself.
Once the team had navigated the narrow bridge the loads continued en-route, arriving safe and sound at the power station ready to be manoeuvred into position. Delivering directly into the power station building, the engines were unloaded from the SPMTs and positioned in place on pre-installed support beams via Collett’s jacking & skidding system.
Once both diesel engines were in position, the Collett Team enjoyed a well-deserved drink in the Caribbean sun before packing up the SMPT and heading back to Halifax, another job well done!
