443 tons! This is no small feat, even for the heavy load experts from Deugro and the c-Port coastal canal which is why they called on Schmidbauer's expertise in the port. Everyone held their breath as the first of two massive transformers, each over 12 meters long and almost 5 meters high, was lifted from the hold of the MS Wendy Dua on 16 July, 2024. With utmost concentration and precision - almost in slow motion - the Schmidbauer professionals maneuvered the transformer using the hook of their 800 t crawler crane toward the pier of the coatal canal (Küstenkanal).
Special lifting beams adapted to the dimensions and center of gravity of the transformer distributed the load optimally to ensure maximum safety and stability. The second heavyweight was loaded in the same manner the following day. These were the heaviest goods of cargo ever handled at this inland port.
The c-Port industrial park is a logistics hub that is increasingly establishing itself as a key location for handling heavy goods and large-scale projects in the energy transition sector. Located in the municipality of Saterland, Lower Saxony (Cloppenburg district), it lies roughly in the middle of the approximately 70 kilometer long coastal canal (Küstenkanal), which connects the Hunte near Oldenburg with the Ems, which has been expanded into the Dortmund-Ems Canal. The intersection of federal highways B 72 and B 401 makes this port the perfect starting point for multimodal transshipment and freight transport.
The fact that the two transformers, manufactured by Siemens Energy, were handled here had another reason: from the port it is only about 20 kilometers to the newly constructed substation in the municipality of Garrel.
This substation will be part of the state-of-the-art BorWin5 grid connection project, which enables efficient and low-loss transmission of electricity from offshore wind farms over long distances. With a transmission capacity of 900 megawatts the BorWin5 project will supply more than 1.1 million households with climate-neutral electricity making a significant contribution to the energy transition.
In addition to Schmidbauer as the trusted partner for the safe and precise lifting of the heaviest loads, Deugro Deutschland GmbH acting as the general contractor, has engaged another partner for the heavy-duty transportation of the two transformers to their destination. Each of the two special transports has a total length of 82 meters and a total weight of 730 tons. They can only be conducted at night.
With c-Port and Schmidbauer this project brought together two partners that have both strategically positioned themselves as enablers of the energy transition. The smooth process and the satisfaction on all sides with the progress and outcome of the transport and lifting clearly demonstrate how different skills can perfectly complement each other when shared values and goals align. This was already evident during the handling of additional transformers (up to 254 t), which were also handled using the crawler crane and telescopic cranes.
Equipment:
- LR 1800-1.0
- ATF 220 G5 aus Hamburg
- 1 x Modulift 400/600
- 2 x Modulift 250
Location: c-Port Küstenkanal
Duration: July 16-17, 2024
