If you are local to Victoria, it has been impossible to miss the impressive assembly of the Stacker-Reclaimer that has been taking place over the last 8 months. It is one of the largest fabrication projects on Vancouver Island!
The project began fabrication at the United Engineering Ltd. Sidney location in early 2019. A 68-tonne Slewbed, 90-tonne C-Frame and 73-tonne Gantry were the first pieces that were completed in June through to October, 2019. These components were loaded onto flatbed trailers, transported down the Victoria International Airport runway after hours and loaded onto a barge at Patricia Bay bound for Victoria harbour. The assembly of the Stacker-Reclaimer then began to take shape at the Point Hope Maritime yard.
Once fully assembled and following operational testing, the Stacker-Reclaimer will be loaded onto barges and towed on the marine highway to Neptune Terminals in the Lower Mainland. The completed Stacker-Reclaimer is approximately 30-metres tall with a 47-metre boom. It is so tall that Transport Canada requires it to have a navigation light on top.
Neptune Terminals handles steelmaking coal mined in BC and Alberta. The Stacker-Reclaimer will be used to stack coal onto the pile when unloaded from trains, and to reclaim it to send to the shiploader for loading ships.
Our successful completion of this project is a result of over 100,000 work hours from start to finish from our dedicated and highly skilled employees, contractors and sub-trades. Only a few more weeks remain until it will leave the harbour for it’s final destination. The Tripper Conveyor and Stacker-Reclaimer will roll onto barges during the next 2 weeks and will leave Victoria by August 15th (dates subject to tides and weather).
Thank you to our neighbours and Kevin Light Photography for these wonderful images.
