Allelys Doubles Down On Complex Reactor Move

UK-based heavy haulage company Allelys has used two of its specialist girder frames to transport a 150-tonne reactor and a 195-tonne transformer to an electrical substation in southeast England.

The move was the first-ever double girder frame convoy deployed on UK roads, Allelys said.

The heavy components were first carried by road from Stafford to Ellesmere Port in northwest England, loaded onto a specialist heavy-lift barge then shipped south to Shoreham Port.

The reactor and transformer were removed from the vessel using RoRo operations, then transported again by road using the two girder frame trailers in convoy to the substation site close to the coastal town of Ninfield.

To complete the move, an overbridge over the River Ouse had to be constructed and central reservations removed. Skilled drivers meanwhile had to navigate the narrow streets and turns of the nearby towns of Polegate and Bexhill.

“This operation was extremely complex right from the start, involving several transportation stages and requiring a lot of technical operations to negotiate obstacles and structures on route,” said Zac Smout, project manager at Allelys.

“There were many pinch points along the route that the transport team effectively managed. The level of engineering and planning involved was evident through the successful execution of the project.”

Girder frame trailers are designed to “cradle” very heavy components such as transformers, generators and turbines at a height just above ground level, with the cargo’s weight distributed evenly through the vehicle’s frame and axle-lines.

The trailers are commonly deployed to move cargo under low bridges, through tunnels and across weight sensitive surfaces. Allelys’ fleet of Goldhofer-manufactured trailers can carry loads ranging from 200 to 500 tonnes.

Allelys will be exhibiting at Breakbulk Europe 2022, taking place on 17-19 May at the Rotterdam Ahoy Convention Centre.