Mammoet has utilised its Trailer Power Assist (TPA) system to transport 23 running generators and hubs to a wind farm project site in the Norwegian town of Narvik.

 

deugro Denmark and Siemens Gamesa tasked Mammoet with the movement of these units along a challenging section of the route.

Anders Bräuner, sales manager Mammoet Denmark, explained: “Safety is vital on every project. The 4 km section of the route to the Narvik site that Mammoet was required to complete involved climbing an 18 percent gradient and navigating 12 to 14 hairpin bends. With each generator weighing 74 tonnes and each hub weighing 47 tonnes, we needed to use the TPA system to maintain safety”.

Launched in 2018 in collaboration with Scheuerle, part of the TII Group, the TPA system was designed to improve transport efficiency and lower the carbon footprint of major projects. It consists of six axle lines, the middle four of which are driven by a 1,000 horsepower hydraulic power pack unit.

Each TPA trailer provides twice the pulling force of a conventional prime mover unit, with no ballast requirements. The system is also compatible with existing K25 modular trailers.

Bräuner added: “Traditionally, an operation of this magnitude would have involved several vehicles working together. With multiple drivers having to work as one, this would have made negotiating numerous hairpin bends especially difficult and time consuming. Combined with the TPAs’ decreased turning radius and the improvements this gives for navigating tight bends, this solution mitigated the risks involved with multi-truck configurations and improved the safety and speed of each individual journey.”

HLPFI reported in August 2018 on the launch of the TPA system, more details of which can be found here.

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