Precision at Scale: Veteran Crane Assists OXBO in Setting Wärtsilä Engines in Pecos, Texas

October 27, 2026

In the West Texas town of Pecos, a new power plant is coming online to supply electricity to the region. At its core are Wärtsilä engines, each paired with a generator. Every one of them had to be moved, lifted and set in place with almost no room for error.

A Partnership Built on Heavy Lifting

Veteran Crane assisted OXBO to jack and slide the engines into place.


OXBO was the lead on this project. The Wärtsilä engines are built in Finland and shipped in pieces. OXBO used its Goldhofer trailers and gantry system to move the components from the port or the rail yard to the job site. On site, OXBO assembled the engines and generators. It then hauled each finished unit to the spot where it would be jacked off the trailer and moved into the building.

Workers crouch under a blue tarp, using tools beside a gray-shirted person standing nearby.

675,000 Pounds, 230 Feet, 1 Millimeter

Each engine weighs 675,000 pounds. Veteran Crane brought its 500-ton Hydra Slide system to jack each engine up from the trailer and slide it into the building. The first engine in each building had the longest trip, about 230 feet. Each engine after that was set a little closer, so it didn't have to slide as far. OXBO's crew worked with ours through every slide.


Getting the engine into the building was only part of the job. Each one had to be aligned to within 1

millimeter, about the thickness of a credit card, and then set down on spring pads. That level of precision

keeps the engine and generator working together reliably once the plant is running.

Workers in a factory stand near machinery while a yellow industrial robot arm operates overhead.

Powering the Region

Once commissioning is complete, the engine-generator sets will produce power for the Pecos area. The equipment travels from Finland across the ocean, then over the road and rail to the site. It ends with a slow, careful slide into place, measured in millimeters.

Workers guiding a long yellow beam in an industrial construction site with scaffolding and machinery

Why It Matters

Projects like this depend on the right equipment, the right partners and crews who know how to work together. Veteran Crane is proud to have assisted OXBO on this project, combining our Hydra Slide system with OXBO's transport and assembly work to set some of the heaviest loads in the industry.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How does Veteran Crane move heavy Wärtsilä engines into enclosed buildings?

    Veteran Crane utilizes a 500-ton Hydra Slide system to jack the engines off of transport trailers and smoothly slide them into the facility. For the Pecos project, some of these engines had to slide distances of up to 230 feet.   

  • What is the required precision for aligning a Wärtsilä engine?

    Each engine must be perfectly aligned to within 1 millimeter, which is roughly the thickness of a credit card. Once aligned, the engine is carefully set down on spring pads to ensure the engine and generator operate together reliably.   

  • Who transported the Wärtsilä engines for the Pecos power plant?

    OXBO served as the lead for transport and assembly on this project. They utilized a gantry system and Goldhofer trailers to move the disassembled components from rail yards and ports, assembled them on-site, and hauled the completed 675,000-pound units to the sliding area.   

  • Why is heavy sliding necessary for power plant construction?

    Heavy sliding systems, like the Hydra Slide, are required because standard cranes often cannot operate inside enclosed power plant structures. For the Pecos project, the 675,000-pound engines required a slow, careful slide to be positioned safely and precisely inside the building.   

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