Drumjohn Power Station all geared up for the future

A remote hydroelectric power station in Scotland has geared up for the future with a full replacement of an old manual powered crane with a new electric system from Street CraneXpress.

The Drumjohn Power Station crane used to maintain the plant’s generators was a manual system using steel chains and pulleys that had been installed more than 30 years ago as part of the Galloway hydro-electric power scheme. Once the company had reviewed and assessed the system it was decided to replace the old mechanicals by installing a full electrical operation.

The 12.5 tonne overhead crane is now fully electrically operated – previously the long- and cross-travel and the hoisting motions were all handled by manual pulleys and chains. Street CraneXpress fitted the crane with an electrical power unit, a wire rope hoist, geared cross-travel and long-travel drives, two geared long-travel motors fitted to an adapter plate on the existing end carriages and full remote control to further enhance operational ergonomics and safety – a project that took the two-man installation team just two weeks to complete.

The only access to the building housing the crane was via a wooden logging bridge and the project team also had to remove the roof to gain access, due to the size of the personnel door. Chris Barnes, Senior Project Manager for Street CraneXpress said: “This was a remote location in Scotland but once we had assessed the project and designed the new gear we were able to come up with an achievable plan for the refurbishment. Consideration was given to the manufacture and installation of a new crane but due to the remote location and restrictions relating to the access of the building, the most practical option was to modify and refurbish the existing equipment to meet the client’s requirements.

“We have the skills and experience to refurbish old equipment and this can generate huge cost savings for our clients compared to replacement gear. Our core skills are in design and engineering and our Projects Division came up with a detailed schedule and plans to make this a clean, if at times tricky, job. Because our aim is to improve clients’ production processes, we prioritise a smooth, quick turnaround of all installations to keep disruption and downtime to a minimum.”