As Global Logistics Provider for the ITER project (the largest experimental nuclear fusion facility ever built), Daher successfully organized the transportation of one of the longest exceptional loads between the port of Avilés (Spain) and the Cadarache site (Bouches-du-Rhône, France).
Between February 26 and March 18, Daher has carried out the transportation of one of the longest components for the ITER program between the port of Avilés (Spain) and the Cadarache site. The component is a beam of exceptionally large dimensions which is to form part of the lifting bridge in the assembly building where the main elements of the reactor are to be preassembled.
This transport operation was organized in two steps:
- A maritime convoy between Avilés and Marseille Fos (1,450 nautical miles),
- An overland convoy between Berre l’Etang and Cadarache via the ITER itinerary.
The lift bridge in the ITER assembly building includes four beams which will be used to install a system with a lifting capacity of over 1,500 tonnes required for carrying out the reactor assembly operations:
- Length: 46.33m
- Width: 4.44m
- Height: 4.24m
- Weight: 155 tonnes each
To cover the 104 kilometers of the ITER itinerary specially prepared by the French authorities, the transport operation was scheduled to be carried out over the course of four nights from March 14 to 18, 2016. This convoy of exceptionally large dimensions, measuring 67 meters in length and weighing a total of 330 tonnes, proceeded at 2 to 5 kph through the most complex sections of the itinerary, such as for the crossing of highway structures, motorways, railways, etc.
The most complex sections were modeled in advance using a 3D simulation in a virtual reality room in order to check operational feasibility right from the planning phase.
