Alevro uses Enerpac EVO System for 3600T LNG Compressor installation in Western Australia

Alevro, a joint venture between Australian engineering services provider, Monadelphous, and Italian heavy lift specialist, Fagioli, has used an Enerpac EVO System for the synchronous jack-down of three 3600T LNG compressors at the Pluto LNG onshore facility near Karratha in Western Australia (WA).

Pluto Train 2 will process gas from the Scarborough natural gas field located in the Carnarvon Basin, approximately 375 km off the coast of WA. Upon completion, Pluto Train 2 will have an LNG capacity of ~5 million tonnes per annum.

Alevro transported the LNG compressors from the quayside via Self-Propelled Modular Transporter (SPMTs), and using an innovative jack-down process, lowered the compressors onto the foundations with the Enerpac EVO System.

The sheer size and weight of compressors meant that pre-planning was critical for the project. Each compressor is approximately 63m long, 30m wide and 30m high and weighs 3600T. The site was prepared with a ground level concrete slab with an array of anchor points. The 44 Enerpac climbing jacks were carefully positioned in an array, with each stack standing at 1.2 metres. The stacks were topped by 500mm of climbing jack frames, each holding Enerpac 250T jacks. The entire jack-down process was operated by two Enerpac EVO power packs, each operating 24 jacks on 12 hydraulic lines with a power requirement of only 7.5kw.

To avoid clashes with the module structure, a bespoke design was created for the jacking frames. “Our first task was to perform the load in operation of the compressor module via SPMT transfer, and then transporting it from the quayside to the prepared on-site foundations which involved 168 Axle lines of SPMTs and eight powerpacks,” said Tomasz Milewski, Engineering Manager at Alevro.

Massimiliano Vettrici, Operations Manager at Alevro, led the execution of the overall operation. “Testing the jack-down system was crucial in building confidence for the next stage of the compressor installation, where the Enerpac cylinders would bear the full weight of the compressor module. Additionally, we paid particular attention to module alignment while on SPMTs, as we did not anticipate any movement during the lowering phase, given the numerous jacking points.

The load transfer from SPMTs to Climbing Jacks utilised the Enerpac EVO ‘tilting mode’ to align the module with its behaviour onto the SPMTs hydraulic bed. The entire jack-down operation, using the Enerpac climbing jacks and EVO systems, went very smoothly. The successful installation of all compressor modules has now established the framework for future jack-downs,” concluded Massimiliano Vettrici.

Alevro’s methodology and creative execution was recently recognised at the Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA) Awards, with the jack-down operation awarded ‘Best Innovation’ by the CICA judges and taking out the People’s Choice for innovation. Photos copyright: Woodside Energy.