-Lorry loader
The electrical substation presented a significant access challenge. The only route available for the plant was via a steep ramp leading down to the plant room entrance.
The transformer, the heaviest single item on the project, could not simply be rolled or allowed to descend under gravity without creating an unacceptable risk of damage or loss of control. Riglift therefore used a Tirfor wire rope winch to maintain a controlled descent, keeping the transformer under tension throughout the ramp approach.
Once the equipment reached the base of the ramp, the installation became more technically demanding. The transformer, ring main unit and LV cabinet all needed to be raised to a specific height before they could clear the substation entrance threshold.
With very limited working space and no room for conventional large lifting equipment, the team used hydraulic jacks and timber packing to progressively build each unit up to the required height.
Once the entrance had been cleared, the equipment was transferred onto transformer wheels and skates and carefully relocated across the substation floor before being precisely positioned in its final location.
The operation required controlled movement at every stage, with the lifting, jacking and relocation sequence planned around both the restricted access and the confined working environment.
All three units were successfully installed into the electrical substation safely and on schedule.
The Tirfor-controlled descent allowed the transformer to remain under full tension throughout the steep ramp approach, maintaining control of the load and reducing the risk of damage during one of the most critical stages of the operation.
Inside the plant room, the hydraulic jacking and timber-packing sequence enabled each unit to be raised sufficiently to clear the entrance threshold. The subsequent use of transformer wheels and skates allowed the team to manoeuvre the equipment through the confined substation and achieve precise final positioning without damage to either the plant or the surrounding structure.
The project demonstrates Riglift’s ability to adapt proven heavy-lift and machinery-moving techniques to technically demanding, restricted-access environments — delivering a controlled and safe installation where conventional lifting solutions simply would not have been practical.
