Supporting heavy-lift breakbulk operations for SSEN Transmission
Customer brief
SSEN Transmission needed a port capable of supporting the safe and timely movement of a 253-tonne transformer destined for the Fetteresso substation in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, as part of a major programme to modernise and strengthen the UK's electricity transmission network.
Challenges
The size and weight of the transformer meant the movement required careful planning, specialist supply chain partners and a port with the infrastructure and team capable of safely supporting the heavy-lift operation.
Port of Aberdeen’s solution
Port of Aberdeen's team worked closely with SSEN Transmission and its supply chain partners - Global Energy Group, Casper Shipping Limited, Sea-Cargo AS and Allelys - to plan the lift.
The Waterway vessel berthed at Clipper Quay in North Harbour which provided deepwater access and heavy-lift quayside capable of receiving the unit.
The transformer was safely discharged on time and as planned. This approach gave SSEN Transmission a reliable port partner at a critical stage in the transformer’s journey to Fetteresso substation.
Why it matters
This project is a representation of how our breakbulk capabilities can support major energy and infrastructure programmes where cargo is oversized, high-value and time-critical.
By providing a safe and flexible port environment for critical equipment, we helped SSEN Transmission and its project partners progress a key stage of the wider electricity network upgrade.
