27.07.2007

Heavy lift record

A massive 450 tonne steel offshore loading buoy was lifted from ship to shore at Invergordon, Scotland on Tuesday, apparently setting the record for the biggest single lift yet undertaken at a Scottish Port.
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The two 320 tonne cranes slew over the transporter

The lift was managed by the Special Projects Division of Port Services (Invergordon). The buoy was being moved from the fabrication yard to Invergordon where Port Services will carry out a number of minor modifications before transferring it to a vessel that will transport it out to the UK sector of the North Sea oil fields.
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The 450 tonne buoy is bulky as well as heavy

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Down she goes..very gently

The 450 tonne buoy was lifted by the two 320 tonne cranes on the heavy duty cargo vessel MV Paula and lowered onto a transporter supplied by AEL. The bouy was then moved around six metres back from the quay to an area where the work will will be carried out.
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The ALE transporter moved the buoy around six metres form the quay front

A 1,200 tonne Gottwald AK912 mobile crane will then be used to lift the buoy onto the new vessel for transport to its final destination.

Port Services operations director Steve Clark said: "This marks the start of an extremely exciting time for Port Services in Invergordon and Aberdeen, where we have been successful in securing several major logistics contracts."