ALE building first 5,000-tonner for Brazilian Superport project

UK-based ALE built the SK350 to support ongoing construction work at the OSX Shipbuilding Unit of the $1.3bn Açu Superport industrial complex 400km north of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Scheduled to start work in 2013, the SK350 will be used for heavy lifting tasks such as the installation of modules onto the hulls of FPSOs.

Essentially an upgraded version of ALE's AL.SK190 4,300t crane, the SK350 contracted for the shipyard project features a 5,000t capacity strand jack system with a 2,000t capacity winch system.

The 354,000mt crane will also be rigged with a main mast length of 141.2m with an optional 120m-long fixed jib available.

ALE say the success of the super-heavy lift crane's bid for the project is in part owed to the fact it was the only crane with the ability to install fully assembled FPSO modules from one location without having to reposition either the FPSO hull or the crane itself.

ALE regional director, Michael Birch, said: "We are very pleased to be able to support OSX in their new Shipyard Facility.

"We understand that OSX undertook a detailed technical evaluation of lifting options, not only floating cranes but also heavy lift cranes from mainstream manufacturers and other heavy lift companies. We are proud that after such a process OSX selected ALE and identified the SK350 as the best technical solution for their heavy lifting requirements in what is planned to be the largest and most technically advanced shipyard in South America."

According to ALE, the resultant cost savings through reduced downtime and schedule duration thanks to the crane being able to lift fully assembled modules is indicative of the firm's tried and tested approach to servicing the oil and gas, petrochemical and civil construction sectors.

ALE group technical director, Ronald Hoefmans, said: "We are pleased to confirm that we are currently in the fabrication stages of building the AL.SK350. We are always striving to keep innovation at the forefront of what we do, and continually creating new concepts to push the boundaries in the heavylift market. Innovation is one of the company's core values, and we are pleased to see yet another concept from the drawing boards of our R&D facility, being built to offer solutions in the industry."