Groundbreaking Performance

From March through May 2021, Transportes Muciño performed a groundbreaking transport: On an extremely challenging route, two major components weighing 380 and 320 t respectively had to be moved from the port of Tampico to the power plant under construction Tamazunchale II. This challenging transport could not have been performed safely without the Goldhofer »ADDRIVE« and the all-new »ADDRONIC«.

A challenge bordering on the edge of what is possible: From March through May 2021, Transportes Muciño transported a gas turbine, a steam turbine, and a generator from the port of Tampico to Tamazunchale II on behalf of Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc. Under construction in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosí, Tamazunchale II is a 514 MW gas-fired power plant, the largest in Latin America. The heaviest component was a generator weighing 380 t and measuring 10,200 x 5,430 x 5,410 mm. Since the route included multiple obstacles, conventional heavy-duty-module combinations were not feasible. With the trust of Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc., Transportes Muciño turned to the equipment from Goldhofer to perform the job.

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“Mitsubishi placed their trust for this challenging job in us. For us, transportation is about teamwork, so we wanted a partner we had worked with in the past: a value that Mitsubishi, Muciño, and Goldhofer share. That is why we decided to face this project with Goldhofer,” says Raúl Cuevas, Commercial Director at Transportes Muciño. Inclines of up to 19%, hairpin turns, and narrow roads posed a challenge for Muciño’s project engineers, one that took the absolute commitment, teamwork, and the efficiency of Goldhofer’s transport solutions to solve. In the end, multiple combinations of Goldhofer heavy-duty modules and the »FAKTOR« 5 high girder bridge were put to use. The gross weight without trucks was up to 705 t. Nevertheless, the transport could not have been performed without the Goldhofer »ADDRIVE« and the all-new »ADDRONIC«.

“With »ADDRONIC«, the basic functions such as steering, leveling, and drive of up to four »ADDRIVE« modules can be synchronized. In addition to that, the integration of an existing PST or THP fleet into the transport combination can be realized easily,” says Rainer Auerbacher, Member of the Board and Head of Transport Technology at Goldhofer. Cuevas adds, “With these specific job requirements, we came to the conclusion that a module combination with »ADDRIVE« and »ADDRONIC« was the perfect solution for our transport challenge.”

Starting with a 2x 18-axle line »FAKTOR« 5 combination with one pushing and two towing trucks, the two »ADDRIVE« modules supported the combination. At the city of Jaltocan, the Muciño team reconfigured the convoy to a 2x 9-axle parallel combination with now four 6-axle line »ADDRIVE« modules synchronized via »ADDRONIC«. The combined traction of three tractors and the »ADDRIVE« modules were able to handle inclines of up to 14% on extremely narrow roads. With detached tractors, the convoy traversed over 46 hairpin turns, even passing a 54-degree bend in Chapulhuacanito. After another reconfiguration to a 2x 12-axle line parallel combination, the Muciño team made their way to the power plant. For the last mile to Tamazunchale II, the synchronized »ADDRIVE« modules once again played to their strengths and independently moved the convoy through a 19% decline to its final destination.

More than 126 curves were expanded in order to accommodate such a large configuration. In addition to that, six major bridge reinforcements had to be made on Panuco, Veracruz, Platon Sanchez, and several other bridges along the route. Some of the bridges even had to be crossed without trucks in order to reduce the total weight and avoid long detours. Under the leadership of Mitsubishi’s logistics team, Transportes Muciño spent over 16 months preparing for this project.

“With the combined expertise of Muciño and Goldhofer, we were able to successfully complete a groundbreaking assignment. I am very proud of the committed performance by our team on site,” says Cuevas. “The next project awaits, and we are perfectly equipped to the competitive edge with Goldhofer as our partner.”