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Summer 2019 Truck and Track 45
PORTS
Bristol’s huge lift
World’s largest crane delivered
Bristol Port’s key role in the logistics supply chain for the multi-
billion pound construction of Hinkley Point C was showcased last
month as it took delivery of the largest crane in the world.
The machine is destined to undertake all the heaviest lifts required
at Hinkley, making it one of themost critical pieces of infrastructure
in the creation of Britain’s first nuclear power plant in more than
20 years.
Built last year in Belgiumby Sarens, the SGC-250 crane was divided
into modules and shipped to Avonmouth Dock from Ghent. It will
be stored at the Port until it makes the short onward journey to the
construction site in Somerset.
Once reassembled, the crane, which Sarens say is the “mightiest in
the world in both size and capacity”, can handle at a 50m radius an
astonishing 5,000 tonne load – the equivalent of 32 single-storey
houses or 1,600 cars.
Miles Adams, Commercial Manager of
Bristol Port, said:
“The safe delivery, storage and onward
travel of this critical infrastructure
highlights the important role that Bristol
Port plays as a muster point for Hinkley. We
are proud to be a key hub in the logistical
supply chain for one of the largest building
projects in Europe over the next 10 years,
and sea transport is a very efficient and
clean way to move very heavy items; in this
instance from Belgium into Bristol.”
The crane was unveiled by Sarens last year
and its first use will be at Hinkley, where it
is expected to be onsite for four years. The
SGC-250 has a maximum load movement of 250,000 tonnes. Its
main boom can be extended from 118 to 160 metres and the jib
can be extended up to 100 metres, providing height of up to 250
metres or a radius of 275metres. Critically, it has a unique ability to
relocate from one lifting position to another – an engineering first.
When it was launched last year, Sarens said the SGC-250 was
inspired by the “increasing trend” towards modularisation, with
clients prefering to pre-assemble large portions, or modules, in a
controlled environment and then transport and lift them into their
final position.
Bristol Port has itself invested in new cranes to meet the ongoing
demands of the Hinkley project, including its partnership with
Hanson, which is expected to see more than a million tonnes of
aggregate brought through the port destined for the new power
plant. The Port has also earmarked land for the storage of Abnormal
Indivisible Loads (AIL) equipment, that is too big to move on the
motorway network and therefore will be taken down to Hinkley by
barge.
Bristol Port is exhibiting at Multimodal on stand 6020.
Remote controlled RTGS at the
Port of Felixstowe
Hutchison Ports’ Port of Felixstowe has taken delivery of its first
remote-controlled Rubber Tyred Gantry Cranes (RTGS).
The four electric-powered cranes were built by ZPMC in Shanghai
and are the first of eight similar machines to be delivered over the
next few weeks. The port also has two remote controlled ship-to-
shore gantry cranes currently undergoing manual testing before
being deployed in full remote mode.
Commenting on the latest equipment,
Robert Ashton, Operations Director at the
Port of Felixstowe, said:
“The new cranes represent an important
step towards a greater degree of remote
working at the Port of Felixstowe. Remote
working will deliver benefits for both our
employees and our customers.
“For the drivers, the ergonomics are much
better than a traditional operation. The
physical stress to a driver’s back, neck and
shoulders will be significantly reduced
and the vibrations experienced as cranes
operate will be eliminated altogether.
Operationally, we will be able to deploy
equipment more dynamically to meet
peaks in demand and locating operators,
vessel controllers and supervisors closer to one another will lead to
improvements in alignment and communication.”
The new RTGs will serve Berths 8&9 where an additional 18,000
TEUof container storage has been created tomeet growing demand
at the UK’s leading container port. The new cranes are electric-
powered and capable of stacking containers 6-high to enable more
efficient use to be made of the new yard area.
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