ALE has lift off with innovative jib

ALE has used its innovative heavy duty jib for the first with the the AL.SK350 crane whilst performing the inaugural lift, weighing 1,276t, of an FPSO module integration project in Nigeria.

The world’s largest capacity land based crane, the AL.SK350, has been rigged in its current biggest configuration with a 124m a-frame main boom, 49m ballast radius and the 38m jib for additional outreach, along with a heavy winch system and 4,000t ballast for the project in Lagos.

For this project, ALE has been contracted to lift and install six modules from the yard onto their final position on the FPSO. The lift weights are between 335t – 3,000t.

The new modular jib, built in 2016, uses an innovative design with a wide strut top that can be assembled in different configurations, can lift up to 3,400t and be configured up to 100m long.

“Following successful test lifts up to 3,403t, using the jib configured with 100m outreach, we were happy with the results and rigged the crane with a mast over 162m long and the strut to a length of 35m,” explained Senior Design Engineer Jan Oomen.

“As part of our continued commitment to innovation and foresight of increasing crane capacity, we developed our exitsing crane concept and fitted the heavy duty jib and strut assembly. This jib’s unique deisgn is like no other in the market and is the first time we have used this design along with the crane’s largest configuration, representing a major milestone for ALE,” explained Project Manager Ronnie Adams.

“The jib’s patented design uses guylines going from the wide strut top to the narrow jibhead to provide enormous side support, which also boosts the lifting capacity of the overall crane and extends outreach. As the yard has restricted space, the AL.SK350 is the ideal solution as it can be strategically positioned to lift from one location and reduce the overall project costs and schedule. Following the successful first lift, we look forward to continuing the lifting operations.”

The lifting operations are expected to take place throughout March and April.