The English-operated heavy-lift barge Terra Marique has completed a complicated rotor exchange for the French nuclear power generation sector. The Staffordshire, England-based specialist shipping company Robert Wynn and Sons Ltd. has successfully completed a rotor swap for the Paluel Nuclear Power Station, transporting a rotor and its replacement between France and the Netherlands.
Domestic power generation in France relies heavily on its fleet of nuclear power stations. Those stations, in turn, rely on the fleet of Wynns for some of the most complex maintenance and retrofitting tasks. The unique heavy lift roll on – roll off (ro/ro) barge Terra Marique loaded a 236-tonne rotor — carried on a 72-tonne trailer — at Fécamp for onward transport to Rotterdam. Once alongside in Rotterdam, the rotor was lifted off using a shoreside crane and transferred directly to the river barge ‘Meander’ for onward delivery.
Swing bridge frustration
A second river barge, ‘Expecto’, carrying the replacement 220-tonne rotor, then arrived and was offloaded by crane onto the quay, before being lifted onto the Terra Marique, where Robert Wynns’ crew lashed and secured the cargo ahead of the return voyage to Fécamp. The road transfer between the power station and the quay is about ten miles (16km).
The project was not without its challenges. On arrival in Fécamp with the new rotor, a temporary breakdown of the port’s swing bridge prevented the planned transit. To keep the project on schedule, the Terra Marique undertook a nighttime manoeuvre, through the Bassin de Mi-Marée with centimetres of clearance into the Bassin Freycinet (pictured).
Night move was a first
Carrying out the precise operation in darkness introduced additional navigational and operational challenges, but the vessel and crew completed it successfully before performing the offload the following morning, Once repositioned end-on to the quay, the vessel’s hydraulic roadway and ballast system were configured for a ro/ro discharge of the replacement rotor, ready for onward transport to Paluel Power Station. Wynns has been able and willing to deliver loads into tight spaces, even when port administrators have proved reluctant, as recently reported by WorldCargoNews.com, over a similar delivery to Wisbech in Eastern England.
Working for Ziegler Group, Robert Wynn & Sons’ engineers and crew coordinated the loading, lifting, and ro/ro elements of the project alongside partners in Rotterdam and Fécamp. “This project showcased not only the versatility of the Terra Marique but the skill and adaptability of all involved,” said Andy Manners, General Manager of Robert Wynn & Sons. “While we have loaded and discharged cargo at Fécamp on many occasions, this was the first time we have navigated the 17.5m wide entrance into Bassin Freycinet in darkness. Navigating under our own power with such tight clearances was a challenge, but one our team met head-on. Our thanks go to our client Zeigler and all our partners for their commitment in ensuring both rotors were delivered safely and on schedule.”