Collett Transport has delivered the two redundant 147Te Main Inlet Valves (MIVs) from the 1700MW Dinorwig Hydropower Station in Wales to a specialised facility in Bangor.
The deliveries are part of the ongoing essential upgrade scheme at the power station, with Collett having previously transported two new MIVs earlier this year to replace existing equipment.
Operating within the mountain, each valve was loaded from the temporary storage area using an overhead gantry crane.
The MIVs were securely loaded onto two 10-axle flat top trailers. Upon exiting the facility, Collett was challenged with the long exit tunnel, featuring a demanding 10% gradient. To overcome this, the company implemented a double-headed approach utilising two 8×4 heavy tractor units to pull the valves up the tunnel.
The valves were transported in convoy along the 11-mile route to the specialist facility in Bangor. The convoy was accompanied by a police escort, as well as Collett’s abnormal load escort fleet. The entire journey from site to site was completed in one hour and 40 minutes.
Before transportation, Collett’s Projects Department conducted thorough preliminary works, including a comprehensive route survey, lift plans, method statements and risk assessment report. Additionally, the company’s Heavy Lift Team had previously attended the site, setting up the JS-125 500Te capacity Jack-Up System.
Upon arrival at the specialist facility, each trailer was reversed under the lifting gantry, and the MIVs were offloaded directly from the trailer. This method provided an ideal solution for a situation where space was limited.