Technip takes Huisman 500 tonne crane

Huisman has begun building a 500 tonne capacity yard crane and a 150 tonne flexlay system for subsea pipeline and offshore contractor Technip, at its facilities in the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.

The 500 tonne yard crane will be installed at Technip's Flexi France facility in Le Trait, France, mid-2013. It is the third crane of this type to be built by Huisman, however, it will be the first to be used for onshore purposes.

The full revolving crane will offer a full electric variable frequency drive system, a low overall construction weight and a small minimum operating radius. All the major equipment, including the hoist winches, will be installed inside the enclosed crane house. This approach is to give lower power consumption and lower operational costs.

The 150 tonne flexlay system will be designed and built for the installation of flexible pipelines. Huisman will manufacture the system with two openable and retractable 75 tonne tensioners, which will allow for safe and efficient installation of large subsea infrastructure components such as umbilicals, risers and flowlines. The system's deepwater lowering function allows for installation in up to 3,000 metre water depth. Delivery is scheduled for the end of 2013.