Mammoet has handled the delivery of two cracking columns for PCK’s oil refinery in Schwedt, Germany.
The columns were transported to the project site by road in several sections.
Once at the site, Mammoet was tasked with installing the columns using two CC 3800 crawler cranes. However, on the day of the lifts, strong winds meant that it was no longer safe to complete the lifting operations during the scheduled time slot.
Gernot Öder, Mammoet’s manager, crane and transport projects, explained: “The wind was unexpected. Safety and efficiency are priorities, so to complete the lifts by the deadline we worked through the night. Our operators worked alternate shifts, completing the technically difficult lifts over the pipe racks using two CC 3800 crawler cranes.”
Mammoet collaborated with PCK in the early stages of the project and provided recommendations for the dimensions of the column sections during the design phase.
According to Öder: “Mammoet’s design insight at an early stage meant that we were able to work with the column sections as larger pieces. This was a time saving decision, as transporting the columns in larger pieces requires fewer journeys and means they can be assembled more efficiently onsite.”
