GGOWL has awarded a major contract to Manchester company Granada Material Handling Ltd to manufacture, deliver and commission 140 replacement crane units for the Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm.
Each of the Granada ‘Python’ crane units have been specifically designed for the Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm and the challenging marine environment in which it will operate. One ‘Python’ crane unit will be fitted to each of the 140 transition pieces – the yellow bases of the wind turbines.
Mark Sidwell, director of Granada Material Handling Ltd, added:
“We are extremely pleased to have been awarded another prestigious UK wind farm project. Securing this contract has been a real team effort by the Granada Renewable product and service division. The Greater Gabbard contract is not only great news for Granada but also for our supply chain. Granada has ambitious plans for this market sector and is the UK’s leading offshore wind farm davit crane supplier.”
“We are currently working with designers, wind farm developers and turbine manufacturers to further enhance the product range to ensure the very latest developments in lifting technology are made available to the rapidly expanding and ever developing offshore renewable market.”
Granada Material Handling Ltd has been contracted to design, supply, third party certify, deliver, and commission 140 individual crane units. Each Python crane unit measures approximately 4 meters in height, 2.5 meters in radius, and weighs 1000kgs. The maximum lifting capacity of 1000kgs is needed to hoist the heavier serviceable components from the supply vessel to the laydown area on the platforms of the wind turbine transition pieces. The crane units have been specifically designed with an emphasis on health & safety and the operator’s needs, and are a unique design to Granada Material Handling.
The company is already now looking to place orders and sub-contract specialist areas of work to other UK businesses, and will deliver the crane units over a 12 month period.
