Four GRT8100-1s and a GRT780 join Sarens’ fleet for Antwerp’s ethane cracker build
Sarens has taken delivery of a batch of Grove rough-terrain cranes and sent five of them — four 100 t GRT8100-1s and an 80 t GRT780 — to the INEOS Project ONE ethane cracker site in Antwerp.
Five cranes into a modular megaproject
Sarens has received a series of new Grove rough-terrain cranes for its global fleet, and has directed five of them to Antwerp. Four are 100 t capacity GRT8100-1 models; the fifth is an 80 t capacity GRT780. All were built at Manitowoc’s factory in Niella Tanaro, Italy, before shipping to the customer.
Their destination is INEOS Project ONE, one of Europe’s largest petrochemical investments. The scheme centres on an ethane cracker that will convert ethane gas into ethylene, using hydrogen generated during the cracking process as a lower-carbon fuel for its furnaces.
Why rough terrains on a 6,000 t module site
The cracker is being built modularly, with sections fabricated offsite and brought to Antwerp by ship. Individual modules weigh up to 6,000 t and measure as much as 50 m long, 40 m wide and 60 m high — far beyond anything a rough terrain will touch. But the surrounding work is where the fleet earns its hours: storage tanks, pumping systems, extensive pipe networks, electrical distribution, pipe racks, cable routes, roads, underground services and general site infrastructure.
Sarens holds responsibility for transport and lifting across the project, including road and sea movements, modular assembly and precision installation, as well as planning and coordinating the whole lifting programme.
Specification and support
The GRT8100-1 has a 47 m main boom and a bi-fold swingaway jib extending from 10.1 m to 17.1 m. Its cab tilts to 20° to improve sightlines on high picks, and four onboard cameras cover the crane, hoist drum and load. The GRT780 offers a comparable boom and jib arrangement and can travel with up to 15.2 t on the hook, useful for shuttling loads around a congested industrial site without re-rigging.
Both models run Manitowoc’s Crane Control System. Sarens specified MAXbase variable outrigger positioning, allowing asymmetric set-ups where the site does not permit a full spread, and Grove CONNECT telematics for remote diagnostics and maintenance planning. Manitowoc is providing parts, service and maintenance through its Breda facility in the Netherlands.
“We sincerely thank Team Sarens for their continued trust in Grove technology and wish them every success on the INEOS Project ONE. With support from our teams in Italy and the Netherlands, we are proud to provide the equipment, service, and technical expertise needed to keep these cranes performing efficiently throughout the project.”
— Rolf Klooster, regional director for Belgium and The Netherlands, Manitowoc
Source: Manitowoc — Photos: Manitowoc
Crane facts
- Models: 4 x Grove GRT8100-1 (100 t), 1 x Grove GRT780 (80 t)
- GRT8100-1 boom: 47 m main boom, 10.1–17.1 m bi-fold swingaway jib
- Cab: Tilts to 20°, four onboard cameras
- GRT780: Travels with up to 15.2 t on the hook
- Options: CCS, MAXbase variable outriggers, Grove CONNECT
- Built at: Niella Tanaro, Italy
Project
- Site: INEOS Project ONE, Antwerp, Belgium
- Scope: Ethane cracker, modular construction
- Modules: Up to 6,000 t; 50 m x 40 m x 60 m
- Lifting contractor: Sarens
- Support base: Manitowoc Breda, Netherlands