ALABAMA Power of the USA has bought two Manitowoc 21000s to work on the 20-month expansion and renovation at the James H Miller, Jr Electric Generating Plant in Alabama which begins this month.
With a basic rating of 754t capacity, this crane is the biggest in Manitowoc’s range.
A highlight of the project will be a massive lift in May 2002 when both 21000s will together perform a two-crane lift.
The purchase included luffing jibs and Max-er attachments for both cranes. The 21000’s maximum reach is 195m when fitted with 104m of boom and 91m of luffing jib. The Max-er attachment boosts the crane’s capacity to 907t (1,000 US ton).
Ivan Plyler, senior engineer for the Southern Company, which owns Alabama Power, said: ‘We were going to have to tear down some structures and move some people. With the 21000, we didn’t even have to think about that. Because of its reach, the 21000 was much less invasive to the plant.’ Plyler said that the project would require a number of 39t lifts at a radius of 122m or more. ‘The 21000 was the only one that could do that for us,’ he said. ‘From 2 October 2001 through the end of May 2002 will be some interesting times for these cranes. We will be putting them through their paces. For weeks at a time, we’ll be running them around the clock.’ Manitowoc regional business manager Ken Butz said that Alabama Power chose to buy its own equipment rather than lease them from a specialist crane company because of the ability that Manitowoc cranes have shown to retain their value.
With a massive power plant clean-up programme now going on and a new building programme soon to start, Manitowoc distributors see a good market for heavylift cranes.
Bill Fox, of Manitowoc’s Louisiana-based distributor Head & Engquist, said: ‘We see many future applications for the 21000 because of the large scrubber units that are being required at plants nationally because of clean air regulations as well as because of the strong need to build additional power-generating capacity in the USA in the next few years.’
