Billion Euro project for Crane House

Dutch crane specialist, Crane House, has put five Manitowoc crawler cranes to work on a €1 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Dunkirk, France.

The project is being delivered by a consortium led by contractor Vinci. As the largest LNG terminal in Europe the facility will have the capacity to hold 13 billion cubic metres of gas, a spokesperson said. It will have three LNG storage tanks and be connected to French and Belgian gas transmission networks, a spokesperson added.

To help with the construction of the plant, two Manitowoc 16000s, two Manitowoc 2250s and a Manitowoc 15000 crawler are working on site. The crawlers are working in coastal conditions.

During the initial stages of the project, one Manitowoc 16000 and a 2250 were used to install underwater foundations and build a barge. During the second stage of construction, a second 16000 was brought on site, followed by another 2250 and a 15000. Recent work for the cranes has included constructing a terminal jetty.

Julian Agostini, Crane House business development director, said, “Working on such an expansion project asks a lot of these cranes, plus the seafront location means they are battered by strong winds and challenging weather. But the Manitowoc crawlers haven’t let us down. They have been working continuously to a very high standard, and we are very impressed by their versatility and ease of use. They are able the ideal solution for a variety of demanding tasks.”

The project is due to be completed at the end of 2015.