Sarens Moves 980t Gripper During Boreas Mobilisation

Sarens has completed a month-long heavy lifting and transport operation for Van Oord’s offshore installation vessel Boreas at the TMA Terminal in Amsterdam, handling components weighing up to 980 tonnes.

The mobilisation involved offloading equipment from the vessel, transporting components across the terminal and assisting with the installation of new equipment before Boreas returned offshore.

Sarens deployed a wide range of equipment for the operation, including 700-tonne, 500-tonne, 160-tonne, 110-tonne and 70-tonne cranes, a seven-axle semi-trailer and 60 axle lines of SPMTs.

The company also mobilised 16 truckloads of temporary steel supports that were specifically designed for the project. A peak team of 20 personnel worked on site.

The heaviest component was a gripper weighing approximately 980 tonnes. After removal from Boreas, the load was transported around 1,000 metres across the terminal to Van Oord’s long-term storage area.

The route included tight turns and uneven surfaces, requiring detailed transport planning and careful positioning of the SPMTs.

One of the main challenges was the limited certainty around the vessel’s arrival time and the need to complete the mobilisation quickly once Boreas was alongside.

The operation followed Sarens’ work on another Van Oord vessel, Aeolus, at the same quay. However, differences between the two vessels meant the equipment and operational setup could not simply be reused, requiring additional changes to cranes, transport equipment and crew.

Sarens said its previous work with Van Oord and experience in offshore mobilisation projects were important factors in securing the assignment.

The operation combined heavy lifting, engineered transport and custom support systems to move large offshore components safely through the terminal while keeping the vessel’s turnaround time as short as possible.