Protea is well known for delivering high-quality handling equipment including cranes, winches, and launch and recovery systems for the offshore and onshore energy industries.
The company prides itself on delivering standard products, bespoke design and unique solutions to global clients and has recently delivered two first of kind gantry cranes for installation at the Yamal Gas Terminal in northern Russia.
"This project presented a number of novel technical challenges as the cranes have to work in very low temperatures (down to -50°C) in a Zone 1 hazardous area" commented Tomasz Poprawa, project manager. "By combining proven system elements and applying our in-house engineering expertise, we have delivered a unique solution that meets our customer’s challenging requirements."
The layout of the cranes is based on previous Protea gantry systems but the design has been adapted for this specific application, including the use of high-grade steel (S355NL/ML) and a number of innovative design features combined with appropriate components to ensure reliable operation in the extreme environmental conditions.
To improve the efficiency and safety of operations, operators can control the cranes from either a central control desk, a pendent control panel, or a radio control unit. In addition, the cranes meet the latest Russian market certification requirements as per CU TR 010, CU TR 012 and CU TR 020 (for the electrical system).
The cranes have recently completed an extensive programme of factory testing at Protea’s state-of-the-art production facility in southern Poland and will now be shipped to Russia for installation and commissioning by Protea engineers.
"These cranes highlight both the wide range of high-quality lifting equipment we can supply, including pedestal cranes, BOP handling cranes, cargo cranes, heavy lift cranes and windfarm platform cranes, and how we can deliver unique solutions for specific applications" added Tomasz Paszkiewicz, Protea CEO.