Oversize load arrives in South Portland after weeklong journey from Jay
Super‑oversize steam generator arrives in South Portland after week‑long trek
A 220‑foot‑long heat‑recovery steam generator that had been hauled out of a shuttered paper mill in Jay, Maine, finally reached its destination in South Portland on Tuesday morning, a full day later than originally planned.
The oversized load, which weighs more than 683,000 pounds and measures roughly 20 feet across, was trucked from the former Pixelle Specialty Solutions mill on the Androscoggin River. The mill was sold to JGT2 Redevelopment in 2023, which in turn sold the generator to Packaging Corporation of America (PCA), one of the nation’s largest containerboard producers.
“JGT2 is not involved in the transport of the equipment,” JGT2 partner Tony McDonald told a local reporter. “This is a PCA‑led effort.” PCA has not responded to inquiries about the shipment.
Maine State Police released a statement on Monday that the convoy was expected to leave the town of Buxton at about 9 p.m. after a night of careful planning. A team of utility crews and law‑enforcement officers escorted the truck along its route, which cut through portions of Franklin, Androscoggin, Oxford, York and Cumberland counties. The convoy prompted temporary road closures and attracted a steady stream of curious onlookers along the way.
On Tuesday morning the convoy crossed a Maine Turnpike bridge after crews had installed a “jumper” bridge—steel beams laid across the roadway to spread the weight of the load. From there the vehicle traveled along U.S. Route 1 in Scarborough, then turned onto Broadway and Elm Street to reach South Portland’s industrial district.
An 8 a.m. update from the Maine Department of Transportation confirmed that the generator had arrived. It is the first of nine oversized loads scheduled for the same route. The department said the schedules for the remaining eight transports would be released after the initial shipment’s arrival.
The shipment is part of a larger equipment removal project. In addition to the heat‑recovery generator, JGT2 has sold two other generators and three gas turbines, plus three gas‑turbine‑driven electric generators, to PCA. Some equipment has already been removed from the Jay site.
The move has been described by local officials as a “super‑oversize” operation. The extended travel time was noted by State Police, who said the journey would take longer than anticipated after the first night. The convoy’s slow pace, however, allowed the team to carefully navigate the state’s highways and minimize disruption.
For residents and businesses along the route, the event was a reminder of the logistical challenges involved in moving large industrial equipment across Maine’s road network. The Maine DOT will keep the public updated as the remaining shipments make their way to South Portland.
