Giant Crane Installs First Leg on Van Oord’s Aeolus

Mammoet, a global provider of engineered heavy lifting and transport, is currently employing its Liebherr LR13000, the biggest crawler crane in the world, to install four platform legs on Van Oord’s newest wind turbine installation vessel, the Aeolus.

In 12 days the giant crane has been assembled at Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven, Germany. The first of the four 87 meter long steel platform legs, each weighing 920 tons, has already been settled into its jacking position on the 139 meter long and 38 meter wide vessel.

For this job, Mammoet designed, fabricated and delivered tailor-made top lifting tools and a tailing frame to ensure that the legs, that have no lifting points, can be lifted securely.

In addition to the platform legs, Mammoet will also install four spudcans, using a specially engineered method. This method involves placing the partly rigged spudcans on the seabed, moving the Aeolus over it and connecting the spudcan with the leg with the use of cranes and divers.

Execution started on 22 April, and will continue round the clock for a fortnight. The Aeolus is scheduled to be operational in July of this year.

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Mammoet, April 28, 2014