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An Exceptionally Oversized and Heavy Convoy

March 5, 2014 will be a day to remember for many people of Belfort, especially those who work at General Electric, as this was when the largest gas turbine manufactured by GE in Belfort, France, named 9HA-01, was completed. There have been huge challenges for General Electric’s manufacturing, logistics, and transportation team members who began working on this project in October 2010, when preliminary studies begun. This gas turbine is the first turbine manufactured in the new generation of high power gas turbines (510MW) designed by General Electric. 

Imagine a convoy of 820 tons, 110 meters long, 6.65 meters wide, and 80 meters high.  It consisted of two trailers of fourteen lines with three axles, with each axle supporting 24.47 tons. It took two stretchers to carry this enormous machine of 390 tons from the General Electric production site in Belfort to Port Autonome in Strasbourg, France. Just assembling the trailers and loading the turbine took around 15 days.

The distance between Belfort and Strasbourg is about 148 kilometers.  Upon arrival to the Strasbourg port, the turbine was loaded onto a barge to be transported to Antwerp. In Antwerp, it was loaded onto a ship and began the trek to the port of Savannah, Georgia, where it arrived on April 4, 2014. It continued its journey by sea, then truck, and finally, by railway to the General Electric plant in Greenville, South Carolina, where it will be tested and presented to future customers. 

Studies and Changes to Transport Paths
There were a large number of engineering studies, road surveys performed, and changes made in order to transport this machine to Strasbourg. These changes included junctions and the widening of passages using green space in the middle of double between 2x2.  Also, there were modifications to the itinerary for passing through city centers. 

These studies were carried out by an Engineering office, CETE-Est, and the final work was done by the Town Councils of the regions driven through. Cost of the development of these pathways was estimated to be 700,000 Euros, which was funded equally by General Electric and the Councils of the Territory of Belfort. This action from the Council of the Territory of Belfort reflects the support and importance that the city of Belfort provides to industry.  It is very important for the companies in this area to have this support, and it reaffirms their commitments to keep their companies located locally. 

The Journey from Belfort to Strasbourg: 
Transport by road is often used between Belfort and Strasbourg because it is the most suitable for oversized heavy transport. When transporting other turbines, like types 6B, 6FA, 9E and 9FB, the journey starts from the factory in Belfort to Strasbourg by road, then the turbines are loaded onto a barge to be transported to the port of Antwerp, Belgium. The transit time is usually between one to one and a half days for the largest actual machine (9FB - 300 tons).

This new turbine’s journey, however, took seven days. The turbine left Belfort on March 5th and arrived in Strasbourg on March 13th. The turbine was transported in suspension: two giant metal arms were holding it within two transversal beams. One truck tractor and two pusher trucks were used most of the time, depending on the road. Three tractors and one pusher trucks were used in case of very steep roads. The trailers were conducted either within the truck or externally. The average distance traveled was around 20 kilometers per day. In order to avoid complications, Colmar city was crossed throughout the night. The maximum convoy speed was around 15km/h or at walking speed to safely bypass the barriers. 

The Port Autonome of Strasbourg: 
The Turbine 9HA -01 arrived in Strasbourg on March 13th, at 11:30 a.m., where it was then unloaded from the trailers onto a barge under the supervision of a surveyor, who ensured all means were well implemented for the success of operations. The operation was completed by March 15th and the barge left at the end of the day. Scale trailers remained on the Port of Strasbourg waiting to be removed. Estimated time for disassembly: 10 days.

And in Belfort:
Many people were saying that this day felt like the Tour de France was happening right in front of them. There were so many people that came out to watch this strange machine, resembling a 110 meters long caterpillar, be transported from city to city. 

The people of Belfort proudly expressed their experience watching this unfold as an absolute great event. But most of all, they are proud of companies like General Electric now being on location in Belfort.  These companies are prospering in new markets and contributing to the economics of Belfort and its surrounding cities. With the design of this new turbine, General Electric expresses desires to continue moving forward within the energy field. 

 

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