Adding a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system to a power plant is a huge undertaking. Although its function sounds simple -- filtering emissions like a car's catalytic converter -- in this case it weighs millions of pounds and takes more than a year to install.
The Ottumwa Generating Station in Ottumwa, Iowa, recently broke ground on such a job. Its $150 million SCR project will improve air quality, create jobs and deliver cleaner energy. Dawes Rigging & Crane Rental, a member of the ALL Family of Companies, is providing the key crane for the project.
The Manitowoc 21000 from Dawes will lift enormous duct sections that direct airflow from the exhaust over the powerhouse to the emissions collection systems high above. With a capacity of 1,000 tons, the Manitowoc 21000 is configured with a 240-foot main boom and 240-foot luffing jib. It requires 694,700 pounds of crane counterweight and 1.2 million pounds of MAX-ER counterweight to get the job done. The crane's total weight is 2.7 million pounds.
Because each 100,000-pound duct section must be placed 10 stories up, it is safer for welders to assemble them on the ground and then have the crane lift and place the finished pieces.
The Manitowoc 21000 dominates the Ottumwa skyline. Visible for miles, it is almost double the height of the city's tallest building.
Dawes' customer is the Alberici Stanley Joint Venture, the engineering, procurement and construction contractor on the project. Ryan Harrison, Dawes Rigging & Crane Rental's Madison, Wisconsin, branch manager, said Dawes' reputation helped earn Alberici's trust.
"Alberici chose us because of the number of cranes we have and the service we can provide," said Harrison. "They know we are a reliable company with the service, parts and professional expertise to maintain uptime."
Harrison added, "Construction is happening on what is essentially an island on top of the powerhouse. There is no other way to access that area other than by using the Manitowoc 21000. If the crane is down, everything is down. We ensure that doesn't happen."
The Manitowoc 21000 is well suited for such a high-pressure job. Strong capacities increase safe lifting parameters and achieve greater stability in potentially windy conditions. Its exclusive Octa-trac eight-crawler system allows swing and travel with a full load and minimizes ground bearing pressure.
Systems like SCR are being installed at power generation facilities all across the country. SCR reduces levels of nitrogen oxide by using ammonia as a reductant within a catalyst system. The ammonia reacts to convert the pollutants into separate molecules of nitrogen, water and tiny amounts of carbon dioxide, all of which are natural elements common to the air we breathe.
To bring outsized service, a large selection of equipment and the industry's most skilled operators to your jobsite, choose ALL.
For more information, visit www.allcrane.com or call (800) 232-4100.
