Irving Equipment cranes Tesla Megapacks
Irving Equipment has successfully craned three Tesla Megapack storage batteries to the Saint John Energy Somerset Street substation in Saint John, New Brunswick. The installation of the batteries is the next phase of the Burchill Wind Project, which aims to make Greater Saint John a leader in green, affordable energy across Atlantic Canada.
The Burchill Wind Farm, consisting of 10 towers located 15 kilometres from Saint John city center, provides 15 percent of Greater Saint John’s power from a renewable source.
To lift the 37,000-kilogram power storage devices, the Irving Equipment team deployed its 500-ton Liebherr LTM 1400 all-terrain crane.
When the Megapacks are online in early 2024, they will store the wind farm's energy and deploy it during periods of low generation. They have the combined capacity to power 3,100 homes for two hours, curbing Saint John Energy’s dependence on fossil fuels and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Interestingly, Irving Equipment craned the Megapacks into the site of Saint John Energy's first substation, which was built at the top of the Somerset Street hill in 1923. Irving Equipment is proud to have played role in building a greener tomorrow.
The JDI Construction & Equipment Division and the Burchill Wind Project
The Construction & Equipment Division of J.D. Irving, Limited has been involved in the Burchill wind project since January 2022. One of its companies, Gulf Operators, a civil construction and aggregate supply firm, laid the groundwork for the Burchill Wind Farm from January to September of 2022, building 7.5 kilometres of roads. During this time, the team blasted and removed more than 600,000 metric tons of rock.
Next, Irving Equipment erected ten Enercon wind turbines from November 2022 to April 2023. To accomplish this sky-scraping task, the highly skilled team at Irving Equipment used its Liebherr LR-1700 crawler crane, which is the eighth of its kind in the world and the first in North America. The crane’s boom and jib were configured to a towering 150 metres in height to assemble the components of the 130-metre towers.
About Irving Equipment
Irving Equipment is Atlantic Canada’s leading provider of heavy lifting, specialized transportation, pile driving, and project management services. In business, Irving Equipment has specialized in industrial, commercial, infrastructure, and residential projects. Backed by its extensive equipment fleet, which includes more than 115 cranes, Irving Equipment provides heavy lifting projects safely, on time, and on budget.
About Gulf Operators
Gulf Operators is a leader in civil construction and is one of the largest producers of high-quality aggregate in Atlantic Canada. It has been servicing customers in the New Brunswick region since 1983. Gulf Operators’ expertise includes renewable energy and wind projects, refinery infrastructure, marine terminals, lagoons, landfills, dam construction and restoration, rail line construction, industrial projects, underground services, and road construction.
Would you like to learn more about the JDI Construction & Equipment Division? Check out these recent stories.