130-Ton Turbine Rotors Leave Alstom Chattanooga in Factorys First River Delivery

Massive doors opened this morning at Alstoms Chattanooga turbine manufacturing site, starting two new low-pressure nuclear steam turbine rotors on a river journey of nearly 1,000 miles.The rotors, destined for a power plant in Illinois, are the first complete units to leave the Chattanooga facility for delivery via river.

Lawrence Quinn, Vice President, Alstom Power Nuclear, North America, marked the event along with reporters from several local newspapers and television stations. Quinn reinforced that the ability to access 80% of all U.S. nuclear power plants via river was a major factor in Alstoms decision to invest in the new Chattanooga factory.What are the realities of shipping huge pieces of power generation equipment via barge? Heres a by the numbers snapshot:

• Each rotor is 35 feet long, weighs 130 tons, and stands 15 ft. tall;
• The units were loaded onto a barge by a crane capable of lifting 1,000 tons;
• Transit by barge will last 8-10 days;
• The rotors will travel on 4 U.S rivers the Tennessee, Ohio, Mississippi and Illinois;
• The barge will pass through 15 locks as it makes it was way to the customer site.

The rotors dispatched today from Chattanooga are part of a contract Alstom announced in 2007.

Read more local coverage of this important milestone from Alstom Chattanooga: 

• 130-Ton Turbines on the Tennessee River (video) - WTVC-TV Ch9 (ABC)
• It's Full Steam Ahead for Alstom - WDEF-TV Ch12 (CBS)
• Barges Carry Away Alstom Machinery - Chattanooga Times Free Press  
• A Monumental Day for Alstom - Nooga.com 
• Alstom Ships First Unit by River- WRCB-TV Ch3 (NBC) 
• First Alstom Units Ship by Barge - Chattanooga Times Free Press 

• Alstom in Chattanooga, Tennessee

• Alstom Nuclear Power Solutions

Alstom Power offers a full range of products and services for the U.S. market including cutting-edge technology to lower carbon emissions.