The orange-and-white Transi-Lift LTL-3000 crane that stood over the industrial hub of Big Pasco, Washington, for about 15 years is being dismantled. Lampson International will spend roughly 10 weeks taking it apart. The components will then be stored at the facility until next year before being shipped to Japan. For local residents, the crane became something of a landmark, although it was originally built not to decorate the local landscape but to construct nuclear power plants.
The order for the crane was placed nearly 20 years ago by the Japanese company Hitachi Transport Systems, now known as Logisteed. The machine was designed for major nuclear projects, including construction of the Higashidori plant. After the 2011 tsunami and the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, Japan suspended the expansion of nuclear power. Logisteed did not cancel the contract but asked that production be slowed: The crane was completed in 22 months instead of the planned 18 and delivered to its owner in 2014, while remaining in Pasco for storage and maintenance.
Japan did not impose a permanent nationwide ban on nuclear power. After the accident, the country established an independent Nuclear Regulation Authority, while requirements for protecting plants against earthquakes, tsunamis, severe accidents and loss of power were significantly tightened. Projects can resume or continue only after compliance with the new standards has been confirmed, the regulator has approved them and local authorities have given their consent.
That is why construction of the Ohma plant in Aomori Prefecture, which began before the Fukushima Daiichi accident, has continued for years under updated safety requirements. The plant, with a capacity of about 1,400 megawatts, is designed to operate on mixed uranium-plutonium MOX fuel, giving the project strategic importance for Japan’s fuel policy. At the same time, the construction and startup schedules still depend on regulatory inspections and local procedures.
When fully assembled, the crane stands about 500 feet, or 152 meters, tall and can lift up to 3,000 U.S. tons. The machine moves on crawler tracks and rotates 360 degrees. Throughout its storage period, Lampson specialists carried out regular inspections, changed fluids, tested cables and updated the electronics to keep the crane ready for work.
The machine’s first assignment will be a seven-year role in construction of the Ohma plant, after which it will be transported to the Higashidori project. About 140 trucks will be needed for the move. The dismantled components will first be loaded onto four barges at the Port of Pasco and delivered to one of the deepwater ports on the Columbia River — likely Portland or Longview. In May, the components will be shipped by sea to the Japanese port of Muroran and then transported to the construction site.
The use of barges is related to the equipment’s size and weight: Rivers can transport large components of power facilities, turbines and industrial machinery that are difficult to move by road or rail. The Columbia connects the inland areas of the U.S. Northwest with the Pacific Ocean, so river transport is generally less expensive, allows for larger shipments and is less affected by highway congestion.
The Port of Pasco is one of eastern Washington’s key river ports. It handles exports of agricultural products, especially grain, and also receives and ships industrial equipment and other bulk cargo, connecting regional businesses with coastal ports and international markets.
Before beginning work in Japan, the crane will undergo testing and receive a traditional blessing from Shinto priests.
Based on: Workers dismantle monster crane that towered over Tri-Cities for years