Collapsed heavy lift crane Orion to be repaired

Monday, September 14 2020

The heavily damaged 5,000 tonne crane, which was collapsed during load tests onboard the DP3 offshore installation vessel Orion early May, 2020, will be completed in the course of 2021.

The preparations in Rostock for the recovery of the crane are in full swing.

As reported already by OER mid-August this year, Sarens from Belgium was assigned to dismantle the 5,000 tonne crane.

At first Liebherr intended to award the contract to Mammoet, but in the end the salvage project was secured by Sarens, because the salvors proposed a method that experts felt was much more likely to succeed.

The salvage project will be split into three phases. Since the crane cannot be salvaged directly on site, the first stage involved appropriate safeguarding of the scene of the accident in order to safely shift the Orion to Berth 25 in the international Port of Rostock. In phase two, the insecure components are being recovered to ensure controlled and safe dismantling of the crane during phase three. The salvage work started already in September.

Comprehensive repairs are necessary during the coming months in order to put the heavy lift crane back into operation. According to the current information both the 145-metre long boom and parts of the A-frame will be completely newly manufactured.

With a lifting capacity of up to 5,000 tonnes at an outreach of 35 metres and a maximum lifting height of 175 metres above deck, the HLC 295000 is the largest offshore crane Liebherr has ever manufactured.