Johnson Crane Hire (JCH) has purchased a 750-tonne mobile hydraulic crane, the largest addition to its fleet, to cater to the demands of South Africa’s wind energy industry
According to the mobile crane hire company, JCH has invested in the Liebherr LTM 1750-9.1 as part of its expansion plans in the region.
Established in 1976, JCH has operations spanning across South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The company owns hydraulic cranes with capacities ranging from eight tonnes to 750 tonnes, and crawler cranes with capacities ranging from 110 tonnes to 750 tonnes.
JCH general manager for the heavy lift division, Peter Yaman, said, “We are investing in bigger equipment to meet the requirements of the growing local wind energy industry. The new 750-tonne crane would allow us to handle certain wind turbine generators and move relatively quickly between hard stands, as it can be stripped and reassembled fairly quickly.”
Yaman added that the Liebherr LTM 1750-9.1 would be well suited for industrial plants as well in the country, as hydraulic cranes require less space than crawler cranes for assembly.
According to JCH, the Liebherr LTM 1750-9.1 has improved balance and steadiness, with removable rear outriggers. Other features of this crane include a 52 metre telescopic boom, which can be lengthened by adding another 19 metres of main boom extension. The equipment also enables pre-assembly of big components of structures on the ground, that improves safety and turnaround times in projects.
Other recent additions to JCH’s fleet include two 275 tonners and a new 220-tonner deployed to Rustenburg to replace an older 275-tonne crane.
“Around 60 new units, including many 140-tonne cranes have been purchased to replace old equipment,” JCH said.
