BigLift Shipping was contracted by AES (Automatismes Etudes Services/Dinson) to transport one and a half level Luffing Harbour Cranes from Taicang (PRC) to Degrad des Cannes, the main port of French Guyana. The delivery was completed by the company’s heavy lift vessel Happy Star. 

In Taicang, at the Runhe Terminal, the crane parts were delivered by two barges and loaded on board by Happy Star’s own heavy lift cranes.

The crane assemblies were mounted on the gantries at Degrad des Cannes, using Happy Star’s own cranes. To ensure a level lift, BigLift utilized its Synchoist Cylinders. These are hydraulically driven cylinders with a safe lifting capacity of 250t/cylinder, a 1m stroke, and can be operated when loaded.

To mount the crane assembly onto the gantry Happy Star lifted it 30 meters above the quayside, and the gantry was driven underneath it. With the help of the Happy Star’s heavy lift cranes, the flanges were matched, and 80 bolts were used to secure the top and bottom of the Harbour Cranes. The installation of bolts was done in collaboration with Dinson personnel.

After these successful installations, the heavy lift rigging could be disconnected from the crane assembly, for which a very large cherry picker was used and a rope access team from Kwata.