Belgian-based heavy-lifting specialists Sarens will unveil what it describes as the ‘world’s biggest crane’ at its construction yard in Ghent on November 2018.
The Sarens Giant Crane (SGC) 250 has been developed specially for the Hinkley Point C nuclear power project in Somerset, and it will be working for the Bylor joint venture of Bouygues Travaux Publics and Laing O’Rourke Construction on a four-year contract worth £20 million ($36.19 million).
A fourth generation for the SGC series, the crane has a maximum lifting capacity of 3,000 tonnes and a maximum load moment of 250,000 tonne-metres. It has a maximum boom length of 160m, it can be equipped with or without a jib, and it can operate on a ring or on straight rails.
At Hinkley Point, the SGC 250 will travel along 6km of rail that is being laid for it. This means that it can travel between three different lift locations without the need for disassembly or re-assembly.
The SGC 250 will be mobilised overland from Ghent to a nearby lay down yard before it is shuttled to the project site. An estimated 280 trucks will be required to deliver the entire SGC, though at the moment, the narrow lanes leading to the site only allow 10 trucks per day.
At Hinkley Point C the crane will lift components ranging from 50 tonnes to 1,150 tonnes at radii of up to 165m. It will pick up and install prefab concrete elements, steel structures and reactor equipment directly from each prefabrication position.
A second crane, a 600-tonne class Terex Demag CC 2800, will assist as a rigging crane.