Crawlers assist at Europe’s biggest LNG facility
11 November 2014 by Daniel SearleA team of five Manitowoc crawler cranes are assisting the construction of what is said to be the largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Europe.
The cranes are being operated by Dutch crawler specialist Crane House and working up to 24 hours a day at the €1bn project at Dunkirk, France.
With capacities from 250t-400t, the cranes were first used on the site in 2011, when a Manitowoc 16000 and a 272t Manitowoc 2250 were used for six months to install underwater foundations and a floating flat barge.
In mid-2013, another 16000 joined the project, followed by a second 2250 and a Manitowoc 15000 model. The 16000, as the largest crane on the site, is rigged with a 96m boom.
The cranes have worked along the shoreline at the project, with one assembled on an off-shore platform. They were recently used to assist the construction of the terminal jetty, primarily through pouring concrete.
The project, which is being overseen by a consortium lead by French contractor Vinci, is due to be completed next year.
