YORK COUNTY, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – Duke Energy wants drivers to know on Saturday, Jan. 13, a large piece of equipment will be transported from Norfolk Southern rail yard, near downtown Rock Hill, to Catawba Nuclear Station in York.
The equipment is a 650,000-pound main step-up transformer, which takes the 22,000
volts generated by Catawba’s unit 2 generator and steps it up to 230,000 volts for
distribution on Duke Energy’s electrical grid. It weighs about the same as two blue whales or a 3,200 square-foot house, Duke Energy leaders say.
It will take six to eight hours to haul the transformer along the 20-mile route, which may impact traffic along Cherry Rd., Heckle Blvd., Hwy. 161 into Newport and Hwy. 274 to Catawba Nuclear Station.
Full release is below.
YORK, S.C. – On Saturday, Jan. 13, a large piece of equipment will be transported from
Norfolk Southern rail yard near downtown Rock Hill to Catawba Nuclear Station in York.
The equipment is a 650,000-pound main step-up transformer, which takes the 22,000
volts generated by Catawba’s unit 2 generator and steps it up to 230,000 volts for
distribution on Duke Energy’s electrical grid. It weighs about the same as two blue
whales or a 3,200 square-foot house.
It will take six to eight hours to haul the transformer along the 20-mile route, which may
impact traffic along Cherry Rd., Heckle Blvd., Hwy. 161 into Newport and Hwy. 274 to
Catawba Nuclear Station.
The new equipment will be installed during a scheduled refueling outage this year, an
investment in our commitment to deliver safe, reliable and clean energy for customers.
The schedule and duration of the move could change depending on weather and other
conditions. Monday, Jan. 15, is a scheduled back-up date.
Heavy equipment details
▪ Edwards Moving & Rigging will be moving the transformer by truck and trailer.
The trailer load is 231 feet long, 12’6” feet wide and more than 20 feet high and
weighs about 300 tons.
▪ The transformer traveled from Cordova, Spain to Charleston, S.C., by heavy
ship, and then from Charleston, S.C. to Rock Hill, S.C., by train.
▪ S.C. State Highway Patrol will escort the transport trucks, which will travel
between 20 and 30 mph.
