INEOS orders Liebherr offshore crane

The INEOS Forties Pipeline System (FPS) has ordered a new ram luffing (RL) crane from Liebherr for its unity platform in the UK North Sea.

The Unity Platform will be equipped with a new RL 650 ram luffing crane. (Photo: Liebherr)

The RL 650 crane will fulfil all material handling for the offshore platform, from food and provisions to spare parts supply, Liebherr said. This crane will replace the current RL crane on site, which has been installed and operational since the 1990s.

The new crane has a maximum lifting capacity 15 tonnes and a maximum reach of 30 metres.

The Unity Platform is operated remotely from an onshore control centre. Teams regularly visit the platform to carry out periods of intensive maintenance work.

Commenting on the decision to install a replacement Liebherr crane on Unity, Jason Duncan, project lead at INEOS FPS, said, “The fact that the entire crane solution is designed and manufactured in-house speaks for the consistently high quality of Liebherr cranes and their impressive longevity. The Unity Platform is a strategic asset to the UK and reliability is important to our customers and our business.”

The crane will fulfil all material handling on the offshore platform, from food or spare parts supply. (Photo: Liebherr)

“The relationship between INEOS FPS and Liebherr is one based on trust and the decades-long collaboration between the two companies demonstrates the importance of building and maintaining long-term business relationships,” added Matti Basan, senior sales manager for offshore cranes at Liebherr.

Offshore cranes, such as those in the RL series, are specially designed, built and maintained to operate in challenging marine environments. The RL 650 is an ideal choice for demanding offshore tasks while meeting industry’s stringent requirements, Liebherr said.