Pluto 2: Alevro’s Tower Lift Success

The Alevro and Bechtel teams at Pluto 2 recently achieved a significant milestone: successfully upending and installing the Heavies Removal Column (HRC) using a Tower Lift System (TLS) and a 1,600-tonne capacity crawler crane.  

Weighing 1,145 tonnes, 9.1 metres in diameter, and 42.6 meters tall, the the HRC dominated the project skyline, making a significant mark on site. 

The TLS was specifically configured to meet the requirements of the Pluto 2 project. This required over 3,000 hours of engineering to configure and modify the tower system to meet the project's needs.  

Detail planning for this scope started in February 2023 to ensure all aspects were in place and ready for the operation. To comply with local regulations, an extensive third-party review process was carried out to ensure the design aligned with Australian Standards and to demonstrate due diligence within the design.  

Further, the tower system underwent many modifications prior to mobilisation to ensure access ladders, platforms and working at height requirements were aligned to Australian Standards. Extensive NDT was also carried out on the structure itself and items such as connecting pins and liftings lugs. 

The tower system structure itself was mobilised from Thailand and Indonesia, with the Strand Jacks and associated Powerpacks/control system mobilised from Italy. This represents a significant global logistics operation to deliver the TLS to Karratha. The Strand Jacks are specialised lifting devices capable of lifting 750 tonnes each, with 4 of them mounted on top of the TLS for this operation and a further two spares available onsite. 

The TLS was assembled at Pluto using a 1,600t Crawler Crane (CC8800) mobilised specifically from Europe for the project by Alevro. The CC8800 crawler is the largest of its kind in Australia and was configured with a 102m main boom for the assembly and lifting activities associated with the TLS and HRC. 

The upending of the HRC took place over the course of 11 hours in a tightly controlled operation, led by Tower System SME Massimiliano Vettrici (Max).  

The lifting operation itself involved coordination between Strand Jack Operators, Crane Operator, Riggers, SPMT Team and Surveyors to ensure the operation was conducted safely and within allowable parameters.  

The successful installation of the HRC represents a significant milestone for the project. Congratulations to all who contributed and assisted in the process.