By Karen E. Thuermer, AJOT When it comes to moving nuclear power plant equipment, heavy-handed labor support is a huge factor. That’s why Westinghouse chose the Port of Charleston for its multi-year contract to handle oversize project cargo in support of a major power plant expansion by South Carolina Electric and Gas.
The Port of Charleston began handling project cargo shipments for Westinghouse this year. The equipment, which is going to an in-state power project, amounts to roughly 24,000 tons of cargo over several years.
South Carolina Electric & Gas Company (SCE&G), with Santee Coopers, proposes to build two new nuclear units located at the V.C. Summer nuclear station site near Jenkinsville, SC. In May 2008, Westinghouse and its consortium partner, The Shaw Group, signed an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract with SCE&G, principal subsidiary of SCANA Corporation, and Santee Cooper, a state-owned electric and water utility in South Carolina, for two AP1000 units at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station. Westinghouse Electric Company, a group company of Toshiba Corporation, is the world’s pioneering nuclear energy company and is a leading supplier of nuclear plant products and technologies to utilities throughout the world. “From a logistics perspective, this is a large, complex and important project,” said Carl Rossi, director of Global Logistics for Westinghouse. “The South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) has approached it very professionally from its inception and has assisted Westinghouse in building a realistic project plan to move our cargo quickly and efficiently to the construction site.” The port began handling the Westinghouse cargo in December last year. The contract is expected to last at least through mid 2016 while construction of the nuclear power plant is underway. The shipments involve 24,000 tons of machinery and equipment with some weighing up to 700 tons “Westinghouse is combining multiple companies, including Toshiba Logistics, Landstar Logistics, the Port of Charleston, stevedores, major railroads and multiple trucking companies, into a fully integrated delivery system,” said Jim Newsome, president and CEO of the SCPA. A total of about 30 ships are expected to deliver the shipments at the Port’s Columbus Street Terminal. From there they are railed or trucked to the V.C. Summer nuclear power plant Units 2 and 3 site in Jenkintown, which is approximately 30 miles northwest of Columbia, SC. Helping the effort, the 135-acre Columbus Street Terminal was recently the recipient of a $25-million improvement project that enhanced the facility’s mix of on-dock rail, storage and heavy-lift capabilities. “The improvement project, which was completed last year at Columbus Street Terminal, was key to winning this business, since it requires on-dock rail and the ability to handle high and heavy project cargo at a dedicated terminal,” Newsome revealed. The terminal handles a variety of non-container cargoes, including autos, other rolling stock, break bulk cargoes, heavy-lift and project moves, including power generation equipment. “We have made major gains in the non-container cargo arena,” Newsome pointed out. “When I first came to the port three years ago, we were very much focused on the container business, but given the economic climate, we really needed to focus on diversifying our cargo make up. We now have a team in place that is more aggressively going after break bulk accounts.” Last fiscal year, break bulk volume in the Port of Charleston and the Port of Georgetown was up over 40 percent. “Certainly the improvements to Columbus Street Terminal have been a factor in that growth,” he said. To rail the shipment, Westinghouse uses a rail car, or “land barge”, that is 251 feet long, has 36 axles and weighs 2.5 million pounds when fully loaded. Built by Kasgro at its New Castle, PA, site specifically for Westinghouse, thi