January 2016 - UTC Overseas

January 2016
Volume 5, Issue 1
Point2point
Global Logistics Solutions
Project Brief
For an exciting video, documenting
the challenging delivery of this huge
transformer from China to rural Utah,
click here: https://youtu.be/sSf8fG-UWrs
A one million pound-capacity dual lane frame trailer was used to successfully deliver the two main sections of
a massive phase shifting transformer over 250 miles from a railhead in New Mexico to a electical substation
in southeastern Utah. This over-road portion of the move took over a week to complete for each section.
TRANSFORMER DELIVERY SETS
THREE-STATE RECORD
UTC Overseas just delivered a huge
phase-shifting transformer (PST) system
from China to Utah, and in the process,
set new records for the heaviest overroad gross-weight load permits ever
issued by Utah, Arizona and New Mexico
at up to 1.834 million pounds.
www.utcoverseas.com
project@utcoverseas.com
Tel.+1-713-869-9939
With growing customer needs for
electricity and increased interest in
renewable energy, Rocky Mountain
Power (RMP) a division of PacifiCorp,
which serves parts of six western states,
began preparations in 2012 to expand
its Pinto substation in southeast Utah.
The variability of renewable generation
presents unique challenges for electric
utilities. Output can change rapidly,
depending on conditions. A PST was
chosen to enable more rapid and efficient
shifting of power flows to and from grids
in response to sudden changes in output
and demand.
RMP turned to China’s BTW, specialists in
large PSTs for a new state-of-the-art unit.
...Read more
Point2Point Newsletter
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January 2016, Volume 5, Issue 1
TRANSFORMER DELIVERY SETS RECORD
“
(continued)
As the units were readied
for transport, Tianjin was
rocked by a huge chemical
explosion, damaging parts of
the port, snarling traffic and
raising the threat of a possible
missed sailing.
Although
originally given a week to
complete the 200 KM (125
mi.) move, UTC Shanghai
and Zhongjie worked with
Chinese authorities to shave
their
original
seven-day
transit plan to just five,
enabling the vessel to sail
on time.
”
Because of its huge size and weight (nearly
1.6 million pounds) it was constructed in
three segments – two transformers and a
connecting "throat" unit. It is the heaviest
PST ever exported from China to North
America. UTC began initial planning work
in April of 2014. As work progressed,
BTW’s long-standing domestic partner
Zhongjie provided input to UTC’s Houston
and Shanghai offices to craft the logistics
for moving the transformer from the BTW
plant in China to the RMP substation near
Monticello, Utah.
This August, working under tight time
constraints, UTC’s Shanghai and Houston
offices coordinated transport from the
factory to Tianjin with Zhongjie, and
negotiated ocean transport to Houston.
The late summer window was a busy
time for China exports, making it hard
to find a heavy-lift breakbulk vessel with
the space and resources to handle the
two transformers, throat section, and
an additional 60 crates of accessories.
Despite the crunch, UTC’s team was able
to negotiate vessel space and avoid
potential delays.
As the units were readied for transport,
Tianjin was rocked by a huge chemical
explosion, damaging parts of the port,
snarling traffic and raising the threat
of a possible missed sailing. Although
originally given a week to complete the
200 KM (125 mi.) move, UTC Shanghai and
Zhongjie worked with Chinese authorities
to shave their original seven-day transit
plan to just five, enabling the vessel to sail
on time.
UTC analysts found rail was the best option
for moving the two transformers from
Houston to a spot as close as possible to
Monticello – on a cost and time basis. (The
throat unit went by truck.) Heavy duty rail
cars for such oversized loads are scarce,
and not always available when needed.
Competitors could only offer expensive
and hard-to-lease 20-axle cars. Fortunately,
UTC’s own custom-built, 16-axle, 400-ton
capacity rail car was ideally suited for the
heavier 381-ton “exciter” section, fitting on
the 40-foot deck with less than a half inch
to spare at either end. (utcoverseas.com/
news/June2014.pdf )
Months before the move, UTC’s rail team
was already researching routes from
Houston via northern and southern
corridors. Once the southern corridor was
determined to be optimal, negotiations
began with the Burlington Northern Santa
Fe Railroad (BNSF) to get clearances and
...Read more
UTC Overseas’ own custom-built, 16-axle,
400-ton capacity rail car was ideally suited
for the heavier 381-ton “exciter” section,
fitting on the 40-foot deck with less
than a half inch to spare at either end.
Despite tight time restrictions and the
busy late summer export season in
China, UTC ocean specialists were able
to book space aboard a bulk vessel
with heavy lift capacity and available
cargo space for the three transformer
units and 60 crates of accessories.
2
Point2Point Newsletter
January 2016, Volume 5, Issue 1
approvals for transport to a railhead in the
tiny New Mexico town of Thoreau, 7,000
feet up on the Continental Divide – and
over 250 miles from Monticello. (Hopes
of getting 30 miles further west to Gallup
were blocked by a load-limit issue on a rail
bridge beyond Thoreau.)
After Houston vessel discharge at the
beginning of October, the rail team
supervised securement of each unit to its
respective railcar. Assembled in a special
train, with empty “idler” cars between the
two loads to spread weight, they were
moved nearly 1,000 miles to Thoreau over
a single weekend.
On site at Thoreau, UTC's sub-contractor,
Intermountain Rigging and HeavyHaul
(IRH), moved the transformers to temporary
stands using jack and slide system
technology. IRH then built a gigantic one
million pound-capacity dual lane frame
trailer around the smaller of the two units
for road transport to Monticello.
Earlier, once the Thoreau railhead had been
chosen, UTC and IRH teams began surveying
three possible routes to Monticello, driving
each one and checking clearances, bridge
and culvert weight capacities, sharp curves,
and steep hills. Also critical was finding
areas where the lengthy load could be
safely parked overnight. Their final choice,
reviewed and approved by individual state
transportation authorities, wound through
New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. Since
part of the route traversed Navajo land,
approvals were also needed from tribal
authorities and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
All three states advised IRH that the trailer,
large transformer and up to nine push
and pull trucks, collectively represented
the heaviest over-road load they had ever
permitted. The trailer alone was 200 feet
long with 30 axles and 240 tires to help
spread the weight, and loaded, stood
over 20 feet high and 22 feet wide. At
maximum configuration, with all trucks
attached and dollies added when needed,
the length reached 412’ and used 314
tires. “When moving such heavy weights,
and with grades of up to 8%,” notes UTC
Project Field Manager Jeremy Gibson,
“failures of truck clutches and drive shafts
are not uncommon. We had no significant
mechanical failures.”
The trailer was dismantled at Monticello’s
San Juan County Fairgrounds, near the
substation, and the small transformer
left on stands. Trailer components were
returned to Thoreau and the process was
...Read more
“
“
All three states advised
IRH that the trailer, large
transformer and up to
nine push and pull trucks,
collectively represented the
heaviest over-road load they
had ever permitted.
”
How far we travel daily is
ruled by where we can safely
park at night.
”
— Mark Lavery, Project
Manager, IRH
“
When moving such heavy
weights, with grades of
up to 8%, failures of truck
clutches and drive shafts
are not uncommon. We had
no significant mechanical
failures.
”
— UTC Project Field Manager
Jeremy GIbson
UTC Overseas’ own custom-built, 16-axle,
400-ton capacity rail car sits empty with
the larger of the two transformers (381
tons) successfully transferred to IRH’s
dual lane frame trailer. The trailer had
already delivered the smaller transformer
(362.6 tons) to Monticello and was then
returned to the Thoreau, NM railhead for
reassembly around the larger unit. To reach
Monticello, over 250 miles away, required
following a carefully surveyed route through
New Mexico, Arizona and then Utah.
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January 2016, Volume 5, Issue 1
(Clockwise top left) The trailer with its large transformer load and moved by an array of 7 powerful trucks, climbs the steep grade from the San Juan
River basin near Bluff, UT. (Top Right) A self-propelled Goldhofer motorized transport approaches the RMP substation with the large transformer. It
had been removed from the trailer at a nearby staging area and moved to the Goldhofer by jack and slide technology. At the substation it was then
slid to a concrete pad prepared for its arrival. (Bottom left) UTC’s successful transformer team from the Shanghai and Houston offices. (Bottom right)
Workmen at the substation with the large transformer (R) throat unit connecter (middle) and smaller transformer about to be connected, left.
TRANSFORMER DELIVERY SETS THREE-STATE RECORD
(continued)
repeated for the larger unit. Each of the
overland moves took from 7-9 days.
Jack and slide systems were again used
to move the big unit, throat and small
unit, in sequence, to a Goldhofer selfpropelled transporter for delivery to the
substation and lowering to the concrete
pad, custom built for their installation.
Safety crews provided traffic control as
the Goldhofer negotiated the main road
enroute to the substation.
factory, are completing final assembly
and testing. RMP experts expect the new
unit to be fully operational in February.
Matt Loll, UTC Vice President for Project
Development, North America and head
of the company’s Transformer Team, said
strong communication was essential
to the successful completion of the
project. “After 20 months of planning
and execution, we coordinated delivery
of these massive heavy lifts safely, on
time and within budget."
From Houston vessel discharge to final
pad delivery took just over two months. "It’s a credit to UTC’s skills in logistics
The three units are now connected on planning, ocean, rail, heavy lift/heavy
the pad and transformer specialists, haul, the coordination between our U.S.
including experts from the Chinese and China offices and our field supervisors,
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Point2Point Newsletter
including Cathy Zhou of our office, who
were on hand throughout to assure safe
and timely execution,” added Shanghai
Project General Manager Eric Xu.
“High appreciation for the great effort by
UTC Shanghai and Houston,” concluded
Zhongjie CEO Chen Jianming.
www.utcoverseas.com
project@utcoverseas.com
Tel.+1-713-869-9939
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