Sandstorms, a compressed programme and a 1,065-tonne column: XCMG’s 4,000-tonne crawler crane opens the lifting campaign at Jubail
The first tower lift at the Amiral project in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, has been completed, with XCMG’s 4,000-tonne crawler crane setting a 1,065-tonne column into position under the direction of Sinopec’s heavy lifting arm.
Main lift with a tailing crane
The operation was run by Sinopec’s Shipping and Handling Company, which used the XCMG 4,000-tonne crawler crane as the main machine and paired it with a 600-tonne crawler crane in a conventional main-lift-and-tail arrangement. XCMG kept equipment and technical staff on site for the duration, covering both the build-up phase and the lift itself.
The load was substantial and structurally intricate, which narrowed the margin for error as it was brought upright and guided onto its foundation. A banner raised on site after the operation records the lift date as 5 November 2025, identifies the crane as an XGC88000 and names the component as a caustic water wash tower of 1,065 tonnes, 72 metres long with an internal diameter of 7.5 metres.
Ten days from arrival to ready-to-lift
Rigging a crane in this class is a project in its own right, and on a live process plant the laydown space needed for boom assembly is rarely where the lift has to happen. The project team worked to a yard pre-assembly plus on-site relocation strategy, building the machine up away from the pick point and then moving it into position. Assembly, testing and commissioning of the main unit were completed within ten days of the crane reaching site.
Wind and sand
Conditions on the Gulf coast added a further constraint. Wind speeds in the area are unpredictable and sandstorms frequent — both bear directly on the stability of a large crawler crane and on the precision required for work at height. Crews had to plan the lift around weather windows while still holding to a tight construction schedule.
“Under harsh construction conditions, XCMG’s crawler cranes proved to be stable and reliable, truly delivering on their promises and creating significant value for our team.”
— Site leader, Sinopec Shipping and Handling Company
First of a series
XCMG describes the operation as the first tower equipment lift at Amiral, which implies further heavy picks to come as the plant’s process columns are set. For the manufacturer it is also a reference job for its largest crawler crane outside China, in a market where the established heavy-lift contractors have long worked with European machines.
Source: XCMG — Photos: XCMG
Lift at a glance
- Main crane: XCMG 4,000-tonne crawler crane (XGC88000)
- Assist crane: 600-tonne crawler crane, tailing
- Load: caustic water wash tower, 1,065 tonnes
- Component size: 72 m long, 7.5 m internal diameter
- Site: Amiral project, Jubail, Saudi Arabia
- Rig-up: assembly, testing and commissioning in 10 days
- Lift managed by: Sinopec Shipping and Handling Company