Robert Wynn & Sons has completed heavy-lift deliveries for SSE‘s Tarbert Next Generation Power Station in County Kerry, Ireland, using its specialist RoRo vessel Terra Marique to transfer oversized power generation equipment ashore through a tidal beach landing.
The operation covered three major components weighing between 306 and 335 tonnes, according to Heavy Lift News. The cargoes comprised a gas turbine, generator stator and transformer for the 300 MW power station, where restrictions on road access required an alternative delivery arrangement.
Robert Wynn & Sons, working on behalf of NX Group, transported the gas turbine and generator stator from Foynes to Tarbert. The company confirmed that the two items weighed 335 tonnes and 318 tonnes, respectively. Heavy Lift News also reported a third delivery involving a transformer loaded in Antwerp.
The marine transport plan took more than 12 months to develop. The equipment could not be moved to the construction site through the available conventional road routes, leading the project team to examine a direct shoreline delivery.
Surveys identified a beach next to the power station that offered access to the site without relying on a conventional port terminal. However, the proposed landing area had restricted operating windows determined by tidal conditions, while the seabed and shoreline required detailed assessment before cargo discharge could proceed.
The investigations included ground-penetrating radar surveys to detect buried rock formations that might damage the vessel’s hull when it settled onto the seabed. Ground-bearing conditions and the marine approach were also examined to establish whether the landing could accommodate the planned operation.
The survey results required Terra Marique to remain more than 23 metres from the shoreline. To provide a route between the vessel and land, NX Group arranged specially engineered 25-metre ramps designed to support loaded self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs).
Precise vessel positioning was essential because the site had no conventional mooring points. The vessel was required to remain within approximately one metre of its target position longitudinally and transversely during the tidal operation.
Its integrated spud poles were used together with two ballasted tractor units provided by Aylward Heavy Haulage to maintain the required alignment. As the water level fell, Terra Marique settled onto the seabed, enabling the crew to align the ramp system for the controlled transfer of the cargo ashore.
The equipment was then rolled off on SPMTs, providing a direct connection between the vessel and the power station site.
In its official statement on the Tarbert deliveries, Robert Wynn & Sons confirmed that Terra Marique had completed two shipments from Foynes. Both involved grounding the vessel and using a purpose-built ramp arrangement for the RoRo transfer.
The 335-tonne AE94.3A gas turbine was manufactured by Ansaldo Energia in Genoa, Italy, and shipped to Foynes before being transferred onto Terra Marique for the final voyage to Tarbert.
According to SSE’s announcement on the turbine delivery, the turbine measures approximately 10.94 metres long, 5.18 metres wide and 4.92 metres high. The company announced the equipment’s arrival at the construction site on 20 August 2026.
The deliveries involved Robert Wynn & Sons, NX Group and Aylward Heavy Haulage, alongside SSE, Atlantic Projects Company and Ansaldo Energia. Other organisations supporting the operations included Shannon Foynes Port, Mullock & Sons (Shipbrokers) and Atlantic Towage & Marine.
Construction of the 300 MW Tarbert Next Generation Power Station began in December 2025. The plant is designed to use sustainable biofuels and supply flexible electricity generation during periods of low renewable energy output or high power demand.
The development represents an investment of up to €300 million. SSE expects construction to be completed in late 2027.
