International heavy lift and transport specialist Mammoet has started to assemble its 6,000 tonne capacity super heavy lift ring crane, the SK6000.
It is being put together at the company’s facility in Westdorpe, Netherlands. Finished components have been delivered to the waterside yard. Initial work included assembling segments of the ring base, frame, power packs and control room. Mammoet is using its own cranes for the assembly, including two 250 tonne capacity crawler cranes and a 140 tonne Gottwald mobile harbour crane.
Mammoet claims the SK6000, announced in 2020, as the world’s largest land-based crane and one that will allow use of new construction methods on large projects. It will lift 3,000 tonnes to a height of 220 metres. As an electrically powered crane it is a big part of Mammoet’s commitment to sustainability.
New possibilities
The new model’s design follows on from the existing SK190 and SK350 models which came as part of Mammoet’s acquisition of ALE. Its enormous capability means larger modules can be installed, meaning shorter build time with less onsite construction which means better quality and safer operations. New possibilities will be opened up for larger modules in nuclear facilities. Wind energy is another target application where larger wind turbine components, foundations and modules can be loaded out for more efficient large offshore wind farms.
Koen Brouwers, SK6000 project manager at Mammoet, commented, “This is a thrilling new chapter for Mammoet and modular construction in heavy industry, as we see the SK6000 taking shape.
It will offer a hook height, outreach, and lifting capacity far in excess of any crane on the market.”
Assembly of the SK6000 is scheduled for completion in the last quarter of 2024.
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