Marine and offshore equipment company MacGregor has introduced its first fibre-rope offshore crane to the market at an event in Kristiansand, Norway.
Called FibreTrac, the crane is able to exploit its full lifting capacity because fibre weight rope weighs almost nothing in water, meaning no additional load is experienced by the crane in comparison to steel wire-rope cranes.
It uses a mixture of existing technologies to offer deep water load handling operators a simple and cost-effective method of handling cargo.
MacGregor Vice President, Advanced Offshore Solutions Høye Høyesen said in practical terms, this means a smaller crane and vessel can be used for more assignments, allowing owners to bid on a wider range of contracts.
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“The ability to use smaller vessels for deep-water projects will also drive down the cost of these operations and give our customers a stronger competitive edge,” Høyesen said.
“Feedback from the event was extremely positive. We were able to present the finished crane to demonstrate how the shift from steel-rope to fibre-rope in offshore cranes is technologically possible and how the crane delivers substantial cost benefits to owners, particularly for deep-water projects.”
The crane has a 150-tonne safe working load capacity and features an advanced rope monitoring and management system to maximise rope lifespan and provide clear lift status.