One of the world’s largest cranes deployed for Svanen upgrade

Engineered heavy lifting and oversized transport specialist Mammoet will deploy its PTC210-DS, one of the largest cranes in the world, to lift a huge A-Frame for the Van Oord’s heavy-lift installation vessel, Svanen. The colossal 210,000tm, 3,200t class crane was chosen as it is one of the few cranes in the world capable of performing the job, and was available locally.

As offshore wind turbines continue to improve in efficiency, their components are also growing in size. The Svanen has recently upgraded its A-Frame, which will enable it to install new-generation monopile foundations in the sea. The frame is composed of three main components that were fabricated by Holland Shipyards and were transported to Mammoet’s Schiedam headquarters in The Netherlands where they were lifted and moved to the quayside.

There, the different components of the A-frame will be assembled and then driven 66 meters along the waterfront using 64 axle lines of Mammoet Self-Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMTs), ready for the PTC to perform the lift. The completed A-Frame will increase the total height of the Svanen to 125 meters.

Read more: Holland Shipyards Group progresses upgrade of Van Oord’s heavy lift vessel

The PTC will be configured to perform the lift using 105 meters of main boom and 66 meters of luffing jib. Additionally, over 4,000 tonnes of counterweight will be utilized. The installation of the frame will only take a week during April and May. The efficiency of the project is attributed to the availability of the crane in Rotterdam and the fact that the A-Frame can be lifted as a single unit.

Julian Alkemade, Project Manager at Mammoet, said, “These two unique pieces of equipment are in the same place at the same time. The lift capabilities and location of the PTC will greatly mitigate downtime for the vessel. Normally, such a project could take a year or so to plan, but here it has only taken a few months due to the crane’s availability and its unique capabilities as one of the world’s largest.”