140 kN Electric Pontoon Mooring Winch
140 kN Electric Pontoon Mooring Winch
Three 140 kN electric pontoon mooring winches built in Yatala for a pumped hydro battery dam, holding the floating pontoon on station through changing water levels with 300 m of rope capacity on each drum.
Pontoon Mooring Winch Project Overview
Custom-built 140 kN electric mooring winches for a pumped hydro dam pontoon
Three 140 kN electric mooring winches built for a floating pontoon at a pumped hydro battery dam. The pontoon carries the intake and pumping equipment and has to stay on station as the reservoir level rises and falls through each pumping and generating cycle, so the mooring winches were sized for large static loads and long rope: each holds 300 m of rope on a heavy drum, driven by a three-phase electric motor through a planetary gearbox. The three winches were built together on the Yatala production line, tested as a set and delivered to the dam ready to be installed on the pontoon deck.
Key Project Highlights
Exceptional performance, precision and reliability
These three 140 kN electric mooring winches hold a floating pontoon on station at a pumped hydro dam. Headline specifications:
140 kN
Rated Capacity
300 m
Rope Storage
Construction
Industry
Pontoon Mooring
Application
Design & Manufacturing Considerations
Built for durability and efficiency in demanding environments
Specified with the project engineers for varying reservoir levels and long service life and assembled in-house at Yatala. Key design considerations:
Heavy-Duty
Steel Frame
Material Choice
Electric
Powerpack
Power System
140 kN
Rated Line Pull
Drive System
Manual
Standard control
Control / Brake
Operational & Technical Breakdown
An in-depth look at the 140 kN electric pontoon mooring winch's performance and technical capabilities
Each winch is a heavy fabricated steel frame with a large-diameter grooved drum for 300 m of rope at 140 kN, machined drum shafts on substantial bearings and a planetary gearbox coupled to a three-phase electric motor, finished in a blue and yellow industrial coating. The frame footprint and bolt pattern were matched to the pontoon deck structure, with lifting lugs for installation by crane.
Mooring duty is mostly holding, so each drive carries a spring-applied brake rated above the working load that engages whenever the motor stops or power is lost, and the gearing gives slow, controlled paying in and out as the water level changes. Building all three winches together on the production line kept them identical for interchangeable spares, and the set was load tested at Yatala before delivery.
Other Winch Applications
Versatile winching solutions across multiple industries.
Beyond green energy, high-capacity electric mooring winches suit floating pump stations, dredges and work platforms on dams, harbours and rivers.
Mooring and positioning winches for floating pump stations and dredges on tailings dams and water storages – high-capacity electric drives with reliable holding.
Heavy mooring winches for fish farm pontoons, feed barges and processing platforms – electric winches built for constant exposure to water and weather.
Project Conclusion
The three 140 kN electric pontoon mooring winches keep a critical pumped hydro pontoon in place through every change in water level. Designed, built and tested in Yatala by Australian Certified Winches.
Like every winch we build, it was designed to AS 1418, the Australian Standard for cranes, hoists and winches, and signed off by our RPEQ-registered engineers before load testing in Yatala.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about pontoon mooring winches for dams and reservoirs.
Why does a pontoon on a dam need mooring winches?
Pumped hydro reservoirs rise and fall many metres between pumping and generating. Fixed moorings would go slack or over-tension, so winches pay rope in and out to keep the pontoon on station and the intake equipment in the right place as the level changes.
Why 300 m of rope per winch?
The mooring anchors are set far from the pontoon so the rope angle stays shallow over the full range of water levels. 300 m per drum covers that geometry with margin for the deepest and shallowest conditions.
How is the pontoon held when the winches are not running?
Each winch has a spring-applied brake rated above its working load that locks the drum whenever the motor stops or power fails. With three winches braked the pontoon is held on three independent lines.
Why were three winches built together?
Building the set on one production run at Yatala meant identical parts, one manual and one set of spares for the project, and allowed the three units to be tested side by side under the same load before delivery.
Can the winches be re-rated or relocated later?
Yes. The winches bolt to the pontoon deck and can be relocated to another floating structure. Drum capacity, motor power and brake rating can be reviewed by ACW if the mooring arrangement changes.
Mooring a Pontoon?
Tell us the pontoon, the water level range and the mooring loads. Our RPEQ engineers will size certified mooring winches for it.