ALE has fitted its AL.SK350 crane with a 38 m-long modular jib to lift a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) module, weighing 1,276 tonnes, in Nigeria.
The crane was configured with a 124 m A-frame main boom, a 49 m ballast radius and the 38 m jib for additional outreach, along with a heavy winch system and 4,000 tonnes of ballast for the project in Lagos.
For the project, ALE has been contracted to lift and install six modules, weighing between 335 tonnes and 3,000 tonnes, from the yard onto their final position on the FPSO.
The modular jib, built in 2016, is designed with a wide strut top that can be assembled in different configurations; it can lift up to 3,400 tonnes and be configured up to 100 m long.
"Following successful test lifts up to 3,403 tonnes, using the jib configured with 100 m outreach, we were happy with the results and rigged the crane with a mast over 162 m long and the strut to a length of 35 m," explained ALE's senior design engineer, Jan Oomen.
Ronnie Adams, ALE's project manager, explained: "The jib's patented design uses guylines going from the wide strut top to the narrow jib head to provide enormous side support, which also boosts the lifting capacity of the overall crane and extends outreach."
The AL.SK350 was positioned to lift from one location at the yard, which Adams said reduced the overall project costs and schedule.
The lifting operations are expected to take place throughout March and April.
