Mammoet World - Mammoet BV

Mammoet Canada Eastern was contracted to receive, barge, transport, and erect 86 wind turbines for the Wolfe Island Wind Project. As the water
around the Island is relatively shallow, all parts were first received and stored at the Port of Ogdensburg, New York. The turbines were then transferred
onto barges and towed to Wolfe Island, a small island located in the St. Lawrence River between Canada and the USA, and subsequently
transported about four kilometers to the 30-acre laydown yard on the Island. Due to the high volume and the limited timeframe, a huge amount of
equipment and manpower was required to deliver the turbines. With the combined equipment fleet of Mammoet Canada and Mammoet USA, the
job required 15 trucks, 17 cranes, 27 trailer combinations, and 62 field staff to move and erect 86 – 2.3 megawatt wind turbines consisting of 1,000
items of oversize cargo. Stationed at Wolfe Island were Burnell Gerber, Transport Supervisor, Mammoet Canada Eastern, and Rob Binkley, Crane
Operator, Mammoet Crane Inc.-East. Providing the engineering was Barend Schuring, Mammoet Canada Eastern.
LOCATION: WOLFE ISLAND, ONTARIO,
CANADA AND OGDENSBURG, NEW
YORK, USA
JOB: TRANSPORTING AND INSTALLING
WIND TURBINES
CHALLENGE: COMPLEX LOGISTICS
Burnell Gerber aka Barney
Three perspectives
of the Wolfe Island
Wind Project
Burnell Gerber,
Transport Supervisor
Biggest Challenges
As the Transport Supervisor on this job, it
was my responsibility to do all I could to
make our work sites as efficient and safe as
possible and to ensure all groups of men
worked together as a team. The barge
unloading / reloading was at the top of my
list. I also had to receive all other equipment
coming to this laydown yard. Things got a
little hectic at times. The yard crew and
supervisor did a fantastic job in keeping up
with all of this excitement. The St. Lawrence
Seaway closed on December 21 because of
ice conditions; therefore, all component
barges were delivered by December 20.
Barge work, transport, and yard crews all
pulled together. Safety was always at the
top of our list. Each morning we started our
day in our lunch room trailer where we held
our Toolbox Meeting. Each safety meeting
started with the work on the barge. We also
discussed the previous day’s activities and
any problems encountered. The floor was
always open for discussion. We all wanted
to be on a winning team!
Best Accomplishments
Moving transformers in Vermont has to rate
at the top of my list of ‘best accomplishments’.
All work in the Northeast USA has
been a testament to Mammoet’s ability to
overcome some logistical nightmares. Over
the years, I have had some great foremen.
They took the time to show me how to do
my work safely. They took the time to let me
know what could really hurt me. Putting
safety and people first means so much.
Absolute Highlights
When I think back to day one on this
project, I wondered how we were going to
get the job done with so many new guys! I
realized how much I depended on those I
have worked with before. They are so professional
in performing their duties. With the
help of competent operators, the new
employees were shown how to do it the
‘Mammoet way’. Work safely, work smart
and have some fun! Our crew in the laydown
yard was a well-oiled machine,
though their workload was heavy.
Rob Binkley, Crane
Operator
Biggest Challenges
Upon being assigned to the Wolfe Island
Project, I became responsible for mobilizing
and demobilizing cranes, coordinating crane
movements (including assembly and disassembly),
and building crawler pads for
cranes to stand on. In the down time, I also
operated different types of cranes, including
the CC 2800, LT 1550, AC 500 and LTM
1300, for various parts of the turbine lifts.
The safety and well-being of my fellow
employees, as well as the crew and
Rob Binkley
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