Long move for Velebit

Croatian transport specialist Velebit Promet overcame a series of challenges in its long distance move of a 103.5 tonne transformer from Slovenia to Sweden.

It was a journey of 7,000 km across Europe completed in 20 days after two months of planning everything down to the smallest detail. Velebit left Croatia for Ljubljana, Slovenia‘s capital city, to collect the transformer. The 103.5 tonne unit was already loaded. Its dimensions were 7.29 metres long, 2.62 metres wide and 4.13 metres high.

The transformer was moved on a Faymonville CombiMax trailer in a 5+7 axle low bed combination. Including the tractor unit, overall length was 36 metres and it weighed 170 tonnes all-in. Ivica Bergovac, Velebit sales director, said, “The modular concept is impressive because it offers the optimal ratio between tare weight and payload.”

From Slovenia the combination headed for Rotterdam in the Netherlands. It was loaded on a ferry for the journey to Scandinavia. In addition to precise manoeuvring, full use was made of the 600 mm suspension stroke of the trailer’s pendular axles.

A similar procedure was followed on arrival at Sundsvall port in Sweden. The final 200 kilometres was covered in the daytime and it attracted many onlookers. Final unloading was at an electricity substation near Länsterhöjden in the Swedish forests.