ALE saves time and costs on wind projects with latest tower cranes

ALE has added three new tower cranes to their extensive global fleet that are expected to make cost and time savings for clients in the wind sector.

The innovative K1650L crane has lifting capabilities like no other free-standing tower crane on the wind energy market, with an increased lifting height, and the ability to work at high wind speeds and with uneven or small hardstands.

The compactness of this free-standing pedestal crane means that civil works and costs are ultimately reduced, without the need to be tied-in to the turbine tower. The low counterweight, increased visibility and quick assembly functionality optimises overall project efficiency.

Thanks to the short 70m boom, the area to boom up and down can be significantly shortened, when compared to any equivalent lattice boom crane. This, together with the very short minimum boom radius, allows the developer to reduce the portion of land to be acquired and cleared, eventually reducing costs and environmental impact.

The crane can be transported and even partially rigged, reducing the relocation time.

“As ALE secure more complex scopes of balance of plant (BoP) within the wind markets, we wanted to invest in the most suitable equipment for these operations,” explains Danilo Viappiani, Regional Engineering Manager.

“We work closely with our clients to understand potential challenges in the future, such as increased hub heights or heavier components, and where there is the opportunity to make time and cost savings. The tower crane solution has lifting capabilities like no other on the market, and by investing in these cranes, it represents a further ground-breaking advancement in our step to become world leaders in the renewable wind industry.”

The cranes are currently being deployed at Wind Energy Holding’s Thepharak wind farm project in Thailand, where ALE has been contracted to provide the full-service TCI and BoP scopes. This includes the enhanced civil BoP and electrical installation services for 150 wind turbine generators up to 156.5m high.