Below-the-hook equipment manufacturer Modulift and Siemens Heat Transfer Technology B.V. combined forces to design a special rig for lifting modules that weighed nearly 200t apiece. Modulift sent two rigs for on- and off-load in Korea and Thailand respectively—a total of 16 no. 34t capacity MOD 34 beams in addition to slings, shackles, tie-plates and other rigging gear.
The two vertical Benson-type Heat Recovery Steam Generators (or HRSGs) first needed to be lifted aboard a vessel for transportation to the 1,300MW South Bangkok phase one combined-cycle power plant located 20km south of Bangkok in the Samut Prakan province, Thailand. Siemens is part of a consortium serving the $550m project, an initiative of the Government of Thailand’s Power Development Plan, which aims to improve the reliability of the country’s power system and introduce clean power generation facilities.
The HRSG-modules are the largest Siemens HTT has ever constructed, which presented a rigging challenge given the dimensions involved.
Supply manager at Siemens HTT Dennis De Jong said, “Alternative lifting solutions also wouldn’t have been able to handle the weight of the generators so we had to be innovative and combine our knowledge about the load[s] with Modulift’s below-the-hook expertise. The result was a mix of the old and the new with an existing beam rigged above the new beams beneath. The use of wire rope slings was also carefully planned to ensure maximum safety and efficiency.”
Account executive at Modulift Chris Schwab said, “Siemens wanted to utilize the same pick points so we were steered towards the eight-beam solution; we added another layer to the rig. Above each beam, a sling was rigged at either end at a 55-degree angle to a [18t SWL] tie-plate; between the plates, a 17t [SWL] tie grommet sling provided stability and attached our rig to their beam.”
As a primary energy source, steam fulfills many important functions. HRSGs are important components of many power plants, because they substantially increase a plant’s overall efficiency, and help to minimize the fuel costs.