First Alstom units ship by barge

Monday, August 8, 2011

photo Staff Photo by Tim Barber/Chattanooga Times Free Press The Alstom manufacturing plant is the site of the former Combustion Engineering located on the Tennessee River in Chattanooga.

Alstom Power, for the first time shipping newly made units from its Chattanooga factory on the Tennessee River, today sent two 130-ton turbine rotors on their way to an Illinois nuclear power plant.

Lawrence Quinn, recently named as the turbine manufacturing plant's new chief executive, said the shipment by barge brings to fruition years of work at the $300 million factory that opened last year.

"This is a monumental experience" for the plant, he said.

Officials said the rotors will travel about 1,000 miles by river to the Exelon Corp.'s Dresden power plant in Morris, Ill. They said it will take about 10 days to make the trip by waterway, which is seen as less costly and easier than transporting the massive units by truck.

For full story, see Tuesday's Times Free Press.