New transformer for SEO pumped-storage hydro station delivered from Malignes (B) with an enormous logistic effort

Cary Arendt of "ATS-Cranes" in Frisingen left no doubt about the fact that the move amounts to a logistic masterpiece. Last Tuesday the transformer was moved by heavy haulage vehicle from the building of the manufacturer, Pauwels of Malignes (B), to the harbour of Malignes where it was loaded onto a special vessel. After a journey of almost one week the vessel had reached the pier of the company Hein in Bech-Kleinmacher.

Transportation was coordinated by Intermont of Charleroi and in Luxembourg and itwas executed by "ATS-Cranes". The colossus was transferred from the vessel onto a heavy haulage vehicle by means of a mobile crane with a safe working load of 500 tons. Before loading, the 96-ton eight-axle mobile crane was equipped with 135 tons of counter weights. Since the companies own 500-ton ATS crane is at present being used in the wind park at Heinerscheid, we decided to use a suitable crane of our partner company Steil of Trier, which was moved yesterday at short notice from Dillingen (D) to Bech-Kleinmacher.

Loading was completed last night shortly after 19 hours local time. A demanding, eight to nine hour journey to Hosingen was to follow at 23 hours and at a snails pace (25 km/h maximum) - first to Hosingen, and then the last portion to Vianden, which was extremely difficult: Cary Arendt, who had driven down this road himself, described it as "steep downward curves with extremely narrow sections". It was therefore intended to cover this part the distance by daylight. In Hosingen the police escort would also be relieved. With the inclusion of the nine-axle trailer and both four-axle traction engines, the combination had a total weight of 180 tons.

In order to transport the heavy load up the Remicher mountain, one traction engine had to be set up to pull, while the second one pushed. A height of 5.5-metres, length of 36-metres and a total width of 3.5 metres meant, that obstacles, for example traffic lights, had to be rotated around their own axle at 15 to 20 locations.
"Due to the height of 5.5 metres we had to be on our toes at all times " said Cary Arendt.

The route led via Frisingen, Alzingen, Hesperingen, Howald, Luxemburg-Bahnhof, Place de l'Etoile, Rollingergrund, Walferdingen, Lorentzweiler, Mersch, Cruchten, Colmar-Berg, the region of Ettelbrück (in the reverse direction), Hoscheid-Dickt, Rodershausen, Obereisenbach and passing Pütscheid to Stolzemberg.

The transformer is destined for "machine 10" of the pumped storage hydro station. As Francis Angelsberg, head of the SEO power company in Vianden explained, the unit is the most powerful transformer in Vianden with a rating of 230 MVA (megavolt Ampère) that converts voltages of 15.75 to 240 kV (kilovolt). Units 1 to 9 are only rated at 115 MVA.

The 30 year-old transformer of unit no. 1 had failed at the end of December 2003. It would not have been economically viable to repair the transformer. The power of the failed unit was partially compensated for by the nine remaining machines, explained Francis Angelsberg. However, their partner RWE had to acquire a portion of the power elsewhere temporarily. In closing Francis Angelsberg explained that the reason for the delay in the delivery of the new transformer that amounted to almost half a year could be blamed on the fact that this was a specially made custom unit.

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