10.01.2010

Grove GTK1100 arrives in China

The first Grove GTK1100 telescopic tower crane in Asia, owned by China Power Equipment Installation Engineering Co (CPIE)has completed its first jobs, helping to build a major wind farm installation in Inner Mongolia, China.

The unique crane installed 92 wind turbines with tower heights of over 70 metres and turbine sections of up to 75 tonnes – all in desert conditions.
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The Grove GTK 1100 at work in Inner Mogolia

Zhu Jingcheng, chairman of CPIE said: “There was no other mobile crane in the world that could handle this job, given the height and working radius required. The GTK combines a perfect blend of short working radius, tall height and strong capacity that is needed for this type of work.”

Manitowoc delivered the GTK to CPIE at the end of June 2009. The crane’s first job was to install two Shengguotongyuan 1.5 MW windmills with 77.5 metre towers and turbines weighing 75 tonnes in Ganqika, Inner Mongolia.

The GTK then travelled to the Zhurihe CHNG Wind Farm in late October, 100 km from Tong Liao City where the company was contracted to install 90 wind turbines in a three-phase programme, which was completed at the end of 2009.

Phase I of the project, which ran from July to September, involved the GTK1100 and several Grove GMK7450 all-terrain cranes installing 33 wind turbines with capacities of 1.5MW. An additional 33 windmills of 1.5 MW capacity were installed in Phase II. These turbines weighed 60 tonnes and had tower heights of 70 metres. Phase III, which started in October, required the installation of 24 windmills with a 2MW capacity.

Zhurihe Wind Farm is situated in an area that used to be a grassland tourist attraction, but is now turning to desert because of drought, soil erosion and water loss.
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CPIE was the first company to move the GTK with superstructure installed

Zhu Jingcheng said: “The main roads are flat, straight and well-prepared, so that wasn’t a problem. But around the windmills’ foundations there were piles of loose soil, which means heavier cranes couldn’t setup nearby. Because the GTK1100 is relatively lightweight, we didn’t have any difficulties with setup. We were also able to drive the GTK1100 with the superstructure attached, reducing our transport convoy, which made things cheaper and faster for us.”

CPIE is the first company to transport the GTK with its superstructure attached, which reduced the number of trailers for transporting it on site from six to four. Travelling in this configuration also means a smaller assist crane can be used as the maximum load is 17.5 tonnes for the GTK1100’s outriggers.