MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has completed the construction of the first fiber-rope offshore crane on the market. The company says that its new FibreTrac crane is able to exploit its full lifting capacity because fiber rope weighs virtually nothing in water, so no additional load is experienced by the crane, regardless of the length of rope used during load handling operations. In contrast, steel wire-rope cranes have to support the extra weight of every foot of cable.

“In practical terms, this means that a smaller crane and vessel can be used for more assignments, and owners are able to bid on a wider range of contracts,” said Høye Høyesen, VP, Advanced Offshore Solutions, MacGregor. “The ability to use smaller vessels for deep-water projects will also drive down the cost of these operations and give our customers a stronger competitive edge.”

The FibreTrac crane has a 150-ton safe working load (SWL) capacity, and incorporates an advanced rope monitoring and management system that maximizes rope lifespan and provides clear lift line status information for the operator at all times. MacGregor says that it is a combination of existing, proven technologies, and will give offshore operators a new edge, and is designed to comply with DNV GL regulations.

“The project to build, certify and validate the MacGregor FibreTrac crane is the result of our confidence in its potential,” says MacGregor VP Høyesen. “We strongly believe in the advantages that it will deliver to our customers.”

“FibreTrac uses existing, proven technologies combined in a new application that offers deep-water load handling operators a simple pathway to some of the most significant cost-saving advantages seen in decades.”

“In practical terms, this means that a smaller crane and vessel can be used for more assignments, and owners are able to bid on a wider range of contracts,” VP Høyesen added. “The ability to use smaller vessels for deep-water projects will also drive down the cost of these operations and give our customers a stronger competitive edge.”

“Feedback from the event was extremely positive,” VP Høyesen continues. “We were able to present the finished crane to demonstrate how the shift from steel-rope to fiber-rope in offshore cranes is technologically possible and how the crane delivers substantial cost benefits to owners, particularly for deep-water projects.”

Sources:

• “MacGregor Builds First Offshore Fiber Rope Crane.” The Maritime Executive, 24-April-2019.
• Pai, Laxman. “MacGregor Builds 1st Offshore Fiber Rope Crane.” Offshore Engineer, 01-May-2019.
• “MacGregor Launches First Fibre-Rope Offshore Crane.” Subsea World News, 08-May-2019.