XCMG and Sinopec Heavy Lifting & Transportation have completed the first main unit of what they describe as the world’s first 14,000-tonne ring crane, setting a new benchmark for ultra-heavy lifting.
The crane features a modular configuration with two main units operating in tandem. The first has completed final assembly and can perform lifting operations independently. Once both units are integrated, the system will offer a maximum lifting capacity of 14,000 tonnes and a lifting moment of 700,000 tonne-metres.
“This crane is more than an incremental improvement; it represents a transformative leap for the global heavy-lifting industry,” said Yang Dongsheng, Chairman of XCMG Group and XCMG Machinery.
The crane also incorporates an electric direct-drive system, which XCMG says can reduce energy consumption by more than 30% while increasing operating efficiency by 20%.
Designed for major energy and infrastructure projects, the crane will target conventional energy, nuclear and offshore wind applications. In nuclear construction, it is designed to handle large plant modules and equipment for two nuclear islands from a single crane position and boom configuration.
For offshore wind, its lifting capacity and height are intended to meet the requirements of increasingly large turbine components.
