In July this year Wolvertem, Belgium headquartered international heavy lift and transportation specialist Sarens launched its fifth Sarens Giant Crane: the SGC-170. It is the second largest ring crane in the SGC portfolio with a 170,000 tonne-metre load moment, a lifting capacity of 3,200 tonnes, and a hook height of over 200 metres. Crucially, the crane can be fully powered by electricity and offers previously unseen levels of modularity. A video of the crane can be seen here.
In September the crane was christened with the name ‘Big Matthias’ in honour of Matthias Sarens, R&D manager, who was instrumental in bringing the crane to fruition.
We speak to Matthias Sarens to find out more about this cutting-edge ring crane…
Looking across the SGC family’s evolution what prompted Sarens to develop a fifth SGC?
On the one hand there was a need for an additional ring crane for a project; on the other hand we think there is a place for a ring crane in between SGC-140 and SGC-250. It wasn’t designed for a specific industry, it can be deployed in all industries, but we took into consideration the developments ongoing in offshore wind, increasing weight of monopiles, jackets and the need of lifting components to very high heights.
How long has the project taken to come to fruition?
I would say it took approximately oneand- a-half years between identifying the need (and as a consequence already doing some pre-study works) and the ready to lift date.
Was the design and development process helped thanks to your previous experience developing the other giant cranes in the Sarens portfolio?
Yes, absolutely. Most of the engineers have been involved in the other ring cranes and have more than ten years of experience in the design of these types of cranes. This allows us to move fluently from design to construction and finally assembly of the crane.
What design principles does it share with the other SGCs in the Sarens portfolio and where does it differ?
All SGC-cranes are ring cranes and as such slew on one or multiple ring beams on top of spreader mats. They all have containers filled with sand as ballast on the crane frame.
The upper structures, comprising back mast, hoists, main boom and jib, are relatively similar.
SGC-170 also has new features: a very efficient electrical modular drivetrain, a reinforced crane frame so that the crane can be relocated with SPMTs in less than one week. Also, the approach is more steered towards faster assembly with less connections in comparison to the other SGC cranes.
To what extent is the crane design modular and what are the advantages of this design approach?
The modularity in the crane was another point of attention during the design; we want it to be able to work with minimal resources in the current project because of the narrow timeframe whilst being able to add extra components in a later phase.
The wheel trucks can be upgraded from four-wheel trucks per bogie to six. We can reinforce the main boom with extra bracings frame if we need to install a very long jib on top.
All these examples show that we can adapt the configuration of the crane very easily in order for the crane’s function to meet the needs of a specific project.
Are any of the SCG-170’s components interchangeable with those of existing SGC cranes? If so, what are the advantages of this?
A lot of the components are interchangeable: the hook blocks and reeving blocks, cables and winches, plus the heavy-duty jib can be deployed on each crane.
The advantages are multiple: we need fewer spare parts and we need fewer total components. We don’t need a heavy-duty jib with each crane because often a crane is deployed without jib.
The steel structures on giant cranes can last decades; what is the expected lifespan of the SGC-170 and can parts be swapped or upgraded over time to avoid obsolescence?
Indeed, the steel structures with this type of crane are not prone to fatigue and can last very long if the paintwork is taken sufficient care of. Correct maintenance on cables, sheaves, bearings and electrical components should it make possible for the crane to have a lifespan of 30 years. Parts can be swapped if necessary but aside from minor components this is not likely.
Does the modularity of the crane aid with assembly and disassembly times? What are the quickest assembly and disassembly times you’ve achieved so far?
Yes, because we can limit the configuration of the crane to the necessary components for the specific job. We have only assembled the crane once and this is not representative as the components arrived gradually on site.
We estimate, however, that in the minimal configuration an assembly/ disassembly time of four weeks is possible.
In terms of physical space how much area is required for setup and disassembly?
This is largely dependent on the configuration of the crane: a longer main boom with jib requires more site space. Also, site organisation, auxiliary cranes etc. will have a big influence. For the configuration with all 120 metres of main boom it would be approximately 10,000m2 – but this is only a ballpark figure.
And how much operating space does the crane require once in use?
The outer diameter of the ring is 48 metres; with an extra safety zone of one metre, a circle with a diameter of 50 metres is sufficient for the crane to operate.
Why did you decide to make the SGC-170 fully electric and how did you go about designing a crane that can lift such huge loads using grid power alone?
The electrical powertrain has many advantages over the conventional, hydraulic system: lower costs, less maintenance, no oil leakage or spillage, and a higher efficiency.
Several drivetrain components were released to the market during the development of the crane, emphasising that very recent advanced technology is used, like the synchronous permanent magnet motors with reluctance used on the winches
Do you expect project tenders to begin specifying ‘electric only’ heavy lifting?
As sustainability ambitions intensify across the industry, we do indeed expect project tenders to increasingly specify ‘electric-only’ heavy lifting – especially for urban, industrial, and infrastructure projects with clear decarbonisation targets. But this is not the general situation yet. At Sarens, we are already preparing for this shift. While full electrification will develop progressively, the direction is unmistakable: cleaner operations, measurable carbon reduction, and innovative solutions that support a greener future for heavy lifting.
Can the crane be used at sites without a strong grid system? Can it, for example, be powered by batteries, or even by diesel generators, if required?
Yes absolutely, there are multiple ways to supply power to the crane.
Currently the crane is connected to a transformer station on the site and is only powered by the grid. With a battery buffer coupled to the grid connection we can significantly lower the grid connection requirement, as the peak power need will be reduced. If grid connection is not possible we can supply power with diesel generators, which not need to be synchronised.
Also a combination of a grid connection with a diesel generator is possible so the set-up of the power supply is designed to be very flexible.
How does the crane’s regenerative energy system work?
When the crane hook is lowered or the crane is luffing down, energy is generated; this mechanical energy is converted to electrical energy by the electrical motors.
This energy will be recovered by another movement (slewing) or for powering the control system, cooling, etc. on the crane. If there is still energy left after this step it can be injected into the grid when connected to the grid. If there is no grid connection the excess energy will be dissipated as heat by brake resistors in the EPCs.
We estimate that the electrical powertrain reduces energy consumption up to 40% or in some cases even more.
What kind of applications was the crane built to handle?
This crane can operate in all different industries. The SGC fleet has a proven track record in nuclear, offshore wind, civil and oil and gas projects. Special attention was given to design the crane boom to be capable to install heavy wind turbine components at very high hook heights of over 200m.
How does Sarens see market demand shifting between these application sectors over the next decade?
Over the next decade demand will tilt decisively toward future-facing sectors – offshore and onshore wind (including ever-larger turbines) and expanding nuclear – while for traditional civil engineering, oil and gas, petrochemical and thermal powerplants new builds will stabilise and projects will moving towards renovation and decommissioning.
Offshore wind capacity and project pipelines have surged driving demand for specialised heavy lifts and marshalling harbour logistics. Nuclear new-build and life-extension programmes are also growing requiring ever heavier cranes such as the SGC 250, the world’s biggest mobile crane, working today at the Hinkley Point nuclear plant in UK.
Once at a job site location can the crane be relocated to different parts of the site? If so, how is this done and how long does it take?
Yes, site relocation is possible. Four extension pieces are connected to the crane so that we can drive underneath with SPMTs without interference with the ring beam.
After part of the counterweight containers is stacked off, the SPMTs lift the crane as a whole and move it just in front of the new position.
The ring beam and spreader mats are separately moved to the new position, and when installed the crane can be lowered again on the ring beam on its new position.
After restacking the counterweight containers, the crane is ready to use again. We estimate this whole sequence taking no longer than one week.
How much ballast can the crane take and what does the ballast comprise?
The crane can have a maximal ballast weight of 4500 tonnes; it is currently deployed with 3500 tonnes of ballast.
The ballast consists of custom-made steel containers that are locally filled with sand to optimise transportation costs; during transport the containers are filled with crane components (for example, bogies)
On a crane of such size how is safety maximised with regards to the operator being aware of what is going on?
In a general way we meet all necessary safety requirements according to EN 13000; when executing lifts there are always riggers and lifting supervisors in contact with the crane operator to follow up on the lifting activities from the necessary angles.
The cabin is located in the centre of the crane which gives a broad view of the crane boom and lifting activities. Cameras in the operator’s cabin aimed on the winches and on the hook permit the operator to closely monitor all moving components.
Where is the crane now, what is it being used for, and how long will it be there?
The crane is currently in the Maasvlakte, Rotterdam, the Netherlands for the loadout of monopiles. These monopiles are being lifted in a tandem lift together with our SGC120/1.
The SGC-170 is named ‘Big Matthias’; what design decisions are you personally most proud of?
I’m proud of the modular concept that has been extended into the various components; the electrical powertrain, wheel trucks, etc… we can reshape the crane very quickly to suit specific project needs. But what makes me most proud is that we can realise this project in a very short timeframe because of our skilled and dedicated people!
Ring Crane Methedology Sees Mammoet-Giant Optimise Wind Turbine Jacket Marshalling Schedule at Port In Taiwan
In Taiwan offshore wind farm specialist Ørsted Taiwan, the Taiwanese division of Danish multi-national energy company Ørsted, commissioned Mammoet Giant, a joint venture between Netherlands-headquartered heavy lift and transport specialist Mammoet and Taiwanese company Giant Heavy Machinery Services Corp., to marshal 66 wind turbine jackets for the 920 MW Greater Changhua 2b and 4a wind farms at the port of Taichung, Taiwan.
RoRo is often the preferred method for moving large and heavy offshore wind foundations onto and from vessels at port. In this instance, however, Mammoet opted to use its 5,000 tonne capacity SK350 ring crane for the job instead.
A key reason behind this is that effective use of the RoRo method is condition dependent – particularly with regards to tides and weather.
“We considered both RoRo and ring crane options but eventually came to them with a very clean solution of using our 5,000t capacity SK350 ring crane,” explains Joey Yu, manager of operations at Mammoet Taiwan. “This was because the port is quite famous for big tides – sometimes up to six metres in difference. For a RoRo operation, if the tide is not up to a certain level and the weather conditions are poor, it would take much longer to o. oad the jackets. What we proposed was a solution that wasn’t dependent on those factors.” The 80-metre tall, 2,400-tonne jackets arrived on a deck carrier in batches of four. They were hoisted from the deck using the SK350 and placed onto concrete supports on the quay.
The SK350’s centralised ballast weight meant that the entire ring track didn’t need to be constructed on the quay – only the section needed to make the 130-degree slew from vessel to landing support – thus saving mobilisation time and working space.
Next, with the three legs of the jacket elevated on supports, 32 axle lines of SPMT drove underneath each foundation and lifted it in tandem, using their on-board stroke. 96 axle lines of SPMT were used in total across the project.
The jackets were driven to a temporary storage area in the port and placed on steel foundations resting on load-bearing mats made from sustainable bamboo.
The steps were reversed for the fi nal load-out phase – the jackets were driven back to the quayside and then lifted by the SK350 onto a deck carrier, which ferried them to the offshore installation vessel in batches of four. The efficiency of this approach helped to minimise the uptime of high-value assets at sea, says Mammoet.
A video of the job can be seen here.
