A Hyster RS 46-41L CH reach stacker is handling wind farm components at Port of Mostyn.

Hyster reach stackers are providing quicker and more economical handling of wind farm components at the Port of Mostyn in North Wales.

Weldex International, which provides lifting solutions for Siemens Wind Power at the Port of Mostyn, introduced the reach stackers.

"At Mostyn, we have pioneered a new method of handling the heavy loads," says Eddie Campbell, Weldex's lifting operations and safety manager. "Hyster reach stackers have been introduced to handle the wind farm tower sections and the hubs for the turbines. Previously, we used a combination of crawler cranes and multi-axle trailers."

The Port of Mostyn has become a major base for the offshore wind power generation industry and it has supported several major wind power projects for over the last five years in the region. The wind farm components are made in Denmark and transported on ships to the port where they are unloaded to be stored until they are ready to be erected.

Campbell says reliability is critical in the operation to ensure the ships are unloaded and reloaded quickly and safely.

The two customised, Barloworld-supplied Hyster RS 46-41L CH reach stackers operate in unison, lifting the 100 tonne tower sections from either end. A special attachment is fitted to the reach stacker booms enabling the wind turbine tower sections to be transported from the quayside to storage faster and more efficiently.

"We have significantly reduced our capital expenditure on lifting equipment at Mostyn and fewer people are required in the lifting process. The reach stackers have also helped improve the safety of the operation even further and the handling is now much faster," Campbell says.

Barloworld Handling, Hyster's UK distribution partner, worked closely with Hyster's special engineering department to ensure the reach stackers met Weldex's requirements. The reach stackers are also required to individually handle 50 tonne hubs for the wind turbines with a special attachment.

The value of the order is undisclosed.