May 21 - Tanzania-based handling equipment and logistical support services company Alistair Group has taken delivery of a Manitowoc MLC165 crawler crane, nicknamed 'Big Red'.
The Manitowoc MLC165, which the manufacturer claims is the first crane of its type in Africa, has already been commissioned at Tanzania's Mtwara Port, and will provide the remote site with lifting support for offshore oil and gas exploration operations.
Clementine James, business development manager at Alistair Group, explained that the company purchased the Manitowoc crawler due to its versatility: "The machine can be disassembled and easily transported. It can be rigged up or down depending on capacity requirements and weight restrictions, and best of all, we are able to move it anywhere in the region on 11 truckloads without incurring any overweight penalties."
At only 3 m wide, the 165-tonne capacity MLC165 can assemble and disassemble itself without the aid of an assist crane. Big Red has a 60 m boom and a 90.7-tonne hook block.
Moroever, said Manitowoc, the open-loop hydraulic system, served by two variable displacement piston pumps, gives the MLC165 more lifting power than other cranes of its class.
