Port of Ipswich facilitates heavy lift operation for new energy project

Discharging transformer from general cargo ship, Wilson Flex III. Photo credit: Stephen Waller

The Port of Ipswich, owned and operated by Associated British Ports (ABP), the UK's leading ports group, has played a pivotal role in supporting the successful completion of a heavy lift operation for a new energy project in East Anglia.

This significant undertaking was carried out by Allelys, a leading heavy lift and specialist transport company, and the Port of Ipswich, with its state-of-the-art facilities and strategic location, has played a critical role in facilitating this complex operation. The components, which include a generator, turbine and transformer, for the new power station arrived into the Port of Ipswich from Rotterdam aboard the general cargo ship, Wilson Flex III, and discharged by Allelys on Monday 16 October.

These components are so substantial they will require at least three successive Sundays, which began on 22 October, to complete the transport from the Port of Ipswich where the new energy project is being constructed. Each load will be about 80m (260ft) long and weigh an astounding 500 tonnes (inclusive of the trailer). This will be the biggest abnormal load ever transported in Suffolk.

Paul Ager, ABP Divisional Port Manager, said: "ABP's Port of Ipswich is proud to have played a role in supporting this remarkable operation.

"We were pleased to work closely with Allelys to ensure that the project has gone smoothly to date, and our support for this operation exemplifies our commitment to facilitating key infrastructure projects for the region and nation.

"ABP has been a vital and necessary partner in delivering this project, and we are grateful for everyone's patience and cooperation as the components make their way across Suffolk to their final destination."