Darlington Unit 3 stator completes its cross-Atlantic voyage

Darlington’s Unit 3 stator has arrived.

The massive 350-tonne piece of equipment left Poland, where it was built, several weeks ago bound for Canada by ship. It crossed the Atlantic Ocean, then travelled through the St. Lawrence Seaway to Oshawa Harbour, where it was craned onto a barge for the final eight kilometres of its journey to the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station.

Upon arrival at Darlington, the equipment was removed via a self-propelled modular transporter, using specially engineered ramps, which were craned into place to bridge the gap between the barge and the station’s dock.

“This was a complicated move, given the sheer size of the load and the critical importance of completing the work safely and event free,” said Jeff Richardson, Senior Vice President, Nuclear Refurbishment. “But the team had planned and practised extensively, considered all possible scenarios and prepared for contingencies. This planning ensured the work was completed event-free.”

The stator, a key component of the turbine generator, serves as the stationary portion of an electric generator that converts the rotating magnetic field into electric current. Installation of the new component, built by GE Power, will take place during Unit 3’s refurbishment in 2020. It will be stored on-site until that time.

Fast Facts:

• Stator weight: 352 metric tonnes or 776,380 pounds. Approximate weight of 220 cars, 58 elephants, or 5.5 M1 Abrams battle tanks
• Stator dimensions: 12.2 m (40’) long, 4.5 m (14’ 9”) tall, 4.2 m (13’ 9”) wide
• Barge dimensions: 44 m (144’) long and 16.5m (54’) wide
• This is the largest piece of equipment to arrive at Darlington since initial construction