MCG Products Make it a Family Affair at Alabama Power
Not only are several ranges of Manitowoc Crane Group products at work on the
environmental upgrading of US-based Alabama Power’s James H. Miller power
station – but cranes spanning several generations as well. In fact, the Model
4100W Ringer from Manitowoc Cranes on site was used to build the original
plant in the mid 1970s. The MCG product line up on the power station is
extensive: from Manitowoc Cranes there are two flagship Model 21000s, a Model
4100W Ringer and a Model 4600 Ringer; from Grove there are several RT rough
terrain mobile cranes; while from Potain there are two HDT 80 self-erecting
tower cranes (which are marketed as Manitowoc HDT 80 cranes in the US). All
the cranes are working in unison to help install emission reduction equipment
into the power station, 32 km (20 miles) northwest of Birmingham, Alabama, on
the Black Warrior River.
The story starts 3.2 km (2 miles) up river
from the plant where ductwork is being assembled at a prefabrication yard (due
to space restrictions at the power plant). These ducts, some as heavy as 82 t
(90 USt), are loaded onto barges using a Model 4600 Ringer, for tugs to haul
down river. A Model 4100W, also on a Ringer, offloads the ducts at the
reception area onto 60-wheel electric transporters, which are then hauled to
the site, where more insulation is fitted to the ductwork. The Model 4100W
underwent a comprehensive overhaul prior to coming to the Miller job, and is
fitted with a jib. “We originally intended to use the jib with an auxiliary
line to flip the ductwork onto the transport dolly,” says B. Wade Pierce,
fleet services field operations. “But in the end we found a way where this
wasn’t necessary.”
The two Model 21000s and HDT 80s are
working in harmony to each other’s strengths. The Model 21000s are lifting
large lots of steelwork and components onto the powerhouse roof. The fast and
agile HDT 80s then break the big lots into smaller parcels and move components
rapidly around the site. “They are a much faster option,” believes Tom M.
Browne, fleet services manager at Alabama Power, talking of the HDT 80s. “They
have proven to be a real saving in that we haven’t had to tie up the Model
21000s on smaller lots. We have undoubtedly gained efficiency due to their
speed and agility.”
The appearance of two HDT 80s on this
jobsite is a confirmation of both self-erecting tower cranes’ growing
acceptance in the North American market and their adaptability for a variety
of applications. They have been installed on special foundations on the roof
of the power house for precise lifting and installation of delicate items of
equipment. Although the cranes have a footprint of only 4.5 m by 4.5 m (15 ft
by 15 ft), they can lift a maximum of 6 t (6.61USt) or 1.4 t (1.5 USt) at
their maximum jib length of 45 m (148 ft). Hired from H&E Equipment Services,
the units have a 34 m (112 ft) underhook height when the jib is laid flat and
they are also able to luff.
Although self-erecting tower cranes are
still uncommon on large industrial sites, the decision-making process was
quite straightforward in using the HDT 80s. “Once we saw they could reach
where we needed them to and had the right capacities we didn’t need much
convincing,” says Browne. “They offered us some compelling reasons to go with
them.” The units are regarded as production machines and have experienced very
few problems despite intensive operations over a prolonged period.
There are also four Grove RT rough terrain cranes at the site, two 41 t (45
USt) RT745s, a 54 t (60 USt) RT760 and an 82 t (90 USt) RT790. These are being
used for general lifting duties, doing picks for the insulating and
fabricating teams. These will remain on the site when the contract is
completed, for general lifting duties.
Clear skies program
The project is part of Alabama Power’s desire to improve the air quality
around its power generating plants. Over the next six years it is investing
several billion dollars in environmental controls. These controls, with such
names as ‘scrubbers’ and acronyms such as SCR, LNB and ESP, are designed to
reduce emissions of particulate matter, carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides
(NOx) and sulphur dioxide (SO2). Emissions of nitrogen oxides and sulphur
dioxide alone will be slashed by 60% over 2002 levels.
The work being
carried out at the Miller plant is the installation of SCRs –Selective
Catalytic Reduction systems. The largest coal-fired power plant in the state,
it has a quarter of Alabama’s total electricity generating capacity; each of
its four units can generate 660 million watts of power – a total of 2.64
billion watts (or enough to serve over 800,000 homes). But retro-fitting the
SCRs into existing – and working – power plants is no easy matter.
The SCRs are enormous, about half the size of a football field and 13 storeys
high – and need to be installed at the very core of the power station. Siting
heavy lift cranes on the roof of the power house was considered but the
structural integrity of the roof was insufficient for such large lifts.
Instead, Tom Browne opted for two of Manitowoc Cranes’ largest crawler cranes
– the Model 21000. Working in unison and with maximum lengths of boom and
luffing jib, the two Model 21000s could be sited away from the main plant and
could still reach to the electrostatic precipitator deep inside the plant.
The Model 21000’s standard 754 t (831 USt) capacity has been increased to 907
t (1000 USt) by the use of a MAX-ER attachment. The MAX-ER also brings with it
a 453 t (500 USt) of luffing jib capacity. “These cranes were chosen for their
incredible capacity at long radius,” says Tom Browne, “plus their added mobile
flexibility. We needed such powerful cranes because there were heavy lifts
taking the existing steel and ductwork out of the plant’s precipitator - and
then feeding the SCR equipment into the gaps created. We also needed reliable
units as we were working to tight deadlines – completing the main installation
work in a two-week outage window when the plant was shut down for annual
maintenance. Fitted with 98 m (320 ft) of main boom, 91 m (300 ft) of luffing
jib and MAX-ER attachments, even at maximum radius for both cranes lifts of 45
t (50 USt) were still possible. “We were pretty much maxed out,” says Tom
Browne approvingly.
The combined skills of this family of MCG cranes
are helping to have the SCRs installed at the Miller plant within the 43-month
deadline. The HDT 80s will be hired for one more year, and Browne voices
regret at not having bought them at the outset. “We hadn’t tried them before
and took the conservative option of renting. But they are pretty cut and dried
machines, straightforward and simple. These machines are doing a good job and
working to their individual strengths.” The majority of these cranes are
likely to move onto other Southern Co. power stations, to help conduct similar
environmental upgrading. The Model 4100 however, may not need to be
disassembled, as there are plans to load it onto a barge at Miller and float
it to the next destination - three decades after it helped to build the
original plant.
About The Manitowoc Company The
Manitowoc Company, Inc. is one of the world's largest providers of lifting
equipment for the global construction industry, including lattice-boom cranes,
tower cranes, mobile telescopic cranes, and boom trucks. As a leading
manufacturer of ice-cube machines, ice/beverage dispensers, and commercial
refrigeration equipment, the company offers the broadest line of cold-focused
equipment for the foodservice industry. In addition, the company is a leading
provider of shipbuilding, ship repair, and conversion services for government,
military, and commercial customers throughout the US maritime industry.
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For More Information Contact: Tom Cioni
Manitowoc Crane Group
Tel: + 1 920 683 6510 E-mail:
tcioni@manitowoccranes.com
Ben Shaw
SE10 Creative Tel: +44 1829 549609 E-mail:
shaw@se10.com
