IMECA supplies fast traveling pipe loading crane in primary process of ALLSEAS’s pioneering spirit

The fast travelling overhead crane needs to keep up with the lay rate of Pioneering Spirit as it is integrated into the pipe-lay system.

The crane directly inserts single or double joint steel pipes into the firing line supply line, as well as stacking the pipes supplied to the vessel. Pioneering Spirit is capable of laying over 6km of pipes per day, which the crane needs to support. Therefore the cycle time of the crane is of the utmost importance. Allseas Package Manager Caspar van Strijp:

“Multiple parties were invited to tender, but ultimately we had most confidence in the cycle time calculations provided by IMECA”

The contract was awarded in the beginning of December 2017. To support the planned operation of PIONEERING SPIRIT, the crane needed to be operational by mid-September 2018 at the latest.

The original plan was to assemble and install the crane in Rotterdam, but due to early arrival of Pioneering Spirit in Rotterdam, the schedule was revised and the assembly, installation and commissioning were performed onboard. The assembly, installation and commissioning were executed in close cooperation with Allseas under IMECA supervision. IMECA Project Manager Bart Burger:

“We had to be creative to meet the tight schedule. Parts of the crane could be loaded onto the Pioneering Spirit prior to departure, but the crane beams had to be loaded from a supply vessel at sea in the English Channel”.

Technical highlights:
Crane type: Marine Overhead Crane
Loose gear: 1x 30t and 1x 60t spreader bars integrated in the crane control system
Crane/trolley travel: Rack and Pinion type
Capacity: 130t, 2x 65t trolleys
Travel speed: 90 m/min