Crane specialist Liebherr has informed that a key milestone has been achieved with the construction of the Liebherr Heavy Lift Crane 150000-3000 for OHT's Alfa Lift offshore wind turbine foundation installation vessel.
Liebherr said Thursday that a "noteworthy wedding" recently took place at its manufacturing site in Rostock which marked the latest key milestone in the construction of the giant crane.
Namely, Liebherr said, the mechanical connection between the lower slewing column and the machinery frame was successfully realized to create the lower slewing unit of the Heavy Lift Crane, ordered by OHT in June 2018.
"During the manufacturing of the HLC 150000-3000, the so-called “wedding”, lowering the machinery frame into the lower slewing column, is an important milestone for a crane of this size, establishing the foundation for further processes. The machinery frame is the heart of the Liebherr heavy lift cranes, containing electric motors, the hydraulic pumps and the main switchboards," Liebherr said.
"With a maximum lifting capacity of 3,000 tonnes at 30 meters and 1,000 tonnes at 76 meters outreach, the HLC 150000-3000 is ready for a wide range of applications and a key feature of OHT’s Alfa Lift," Liebherr said. The manufacturing processes are now in the final phase at the Liebherr site in Rostock.
The wedding of the machinery frame and the lower slewing column is the latest milestone of many in recent months and will be followed by the electrical and hydraulic connection of the two components as well as further completion activities on the crane, the company said.
As soon as these activities are finalized, the next milestone will take place: the connection between the upper and the lower slewing unit, another highlight of the manufacturing of the crane.
The Alfa Lift vessel, of Ulstein Design, is currently under construction in China, due for delivery next year.
The owner, Offshore Heavy Transports (OHT), has already secured work with Equinor and SSE for the transportation and installation of foundations for Dogger Bank wind farms in the UK.