Many wind farms in several countries, including Brazil, have narrow internal roads of 6 - 7 m wide. This restricts the use of conventional crawler cranes, as conventional machines are severely restricted relocating between turbines. The narrow track cranes can crawl in between turbines with no or partial disassembly, ultimately saving money in civil works and time in dismantling, transport, and subsequent re-erection of the crane.
Mammoet, one of the world’s largest engineered heavy lifting and transport service providers, has introduced a narrow track CC2800-1 to its fleet in Brazil in order to support the country’s wind sector. This updated machine will strengthen the company’s position in the local wind market, which is one of the fastest-growing markets in South America.
Mammoet’s newly converted CC2800-1 NT.
The 600 t CC2800-1 crane was originally located in Texas, US; however, it was not in use. Teams in Brazil and Texas recognised that converting the existing machine to a narrow track configuration would bring new life and a much-needed addition to the Brazilian fleet. While still in Texas, the crane underwent a full conversion from the standard 9.9 m wide tracks to the newly updated 5.3 m wide narrow track configuration. The crane’s software was also upgraded and thoroughly checked by internal teams as well as factory Demag technicians.
Along with the track conversion, Mammoet’s team invested in additional boom sections and a fixed jib, which fully complete the arrangement required to execute wind work. With these modifications, the crane has the capability to lift turbine components with hub heights up to 125 m tall. This fleet extension increases the company’s capacity in the region, complementing the existing fleet, while adding flexibility and greater availability for work. Once the upgrade was complete, team members from the US and Latin America collaborated on the logistics and safe relocation of the crane.
Assembly of the CC-2800-1 NT crane.
Mammoet has a high level of expertise in the wind energy industry, having been involved in the engineering, lifting, transport and installation of more than 9000 turbines around the world. From the earliest wind projects, the company has transported, erected, and installed turbines for all kinds of onshore and offshore projects, from a single prototype to large-scale wind farms and under many different conditions.
For more news and technical articles from the global renewable industry, read the latest issue of Energy Global magazine.
Energy Global's Spring 2021 issue
The Spring issue of Energy Global features a varied spectrum of in-depth technical articles detailing recent projects, future projections, and technological advancements in the renewables sector, from companies including GlobalData, Atlas Copco, Watlow, QED Naval, TRACTO, AB Energy, and more.