Tombigbee River Power Plant To Get E-Crane®

Black & Veatch, a leading engineering and construction company, recently awarded E-Crane International- USA the major portion of a contract to upgrade material handling at one of Alabama Electric Cooperative’s power plants. The generating station, known as Charles R. Lowman Power Plant, is on the Tombigbee River near Leroy, Ala.

Designed by Kent Hoffmeister of Global Marine Technologies, the floating material handling system will consist of a 2000 series, model 18264 E-Crane®, a receiving hopper and a feeder; all mounted on a 175 by 50-foot deck barge. It will receive coal and limestone from barges and transport the material via a conveyor to the plant’s shoreside material handling system. The conveyor will be mounted on a 40- by 26-foot support barge tied to the crane barge. Superior Boat Works, Greenville, Miss., is building the barges.

The hopper, feeder and conveyors are being supplied by Dearborn-Western Conveyor. Mesa Engineering, Knoxville, Tenn., is designing, and will manifacture and install, the electronic control system that integrates the floating and stationary portions or the material handling system.

Indusign of Belgium is manufacturing the E-Crane® in coordination with E-Crane International-USA. Mark Osborne, president of E-Crane International-USA is responsible for the project’s overall concept and execution.

The new material handling system is scheduled to be operational during the first quarter of 2008.

Source: Waterways Journal 10/10/07