Tower crane rental group NFT has taken delivery of two new Potain flat top tower cranes, a 50 tonne MCT 1105, currently the largest flat top in the Potain range, and a slightly smaller 50 tonne MCT 1005, for work on Sindalah Island, one of the Neom tourist developments on the Red Sea at the point where it meets the Gulf of Aqaba in northern Saudi Arabia.
Both cranes have been configured with 50 metre jibs with jib tip capacities of 22.8 and 21.5 tonnes respectively. The MCT 1105 has 63.1 metre under hook height, while the MCT 1005 has 43.1 metres. Both cranes can be rigged with 80 metre jibs with 11 and eight tonnes jib tip capacities and have maximum freestanding heights of 69.7 metres. They are scheduled to remain on site for at least nine months.
The installation underway
With no accessible routes onto the 210 acre/85 Hectare island for mobile or crawler cranes and limited space once in place, the only choice for lifting and placing the 20 to 30 tonne concrete modules was high capacity tower cranes. The two Potain cranes proved ideal for the job.
NFT business development manager Nawar Al Zahlawi said: “We had a lot of success with the MD 1100 which has such strong lifting capacities across the entire working radius. When we first had discussions with Manitowoc about potential evolutions for the model, we were glad to support the projects. I’m pleased to say the MCT 1105 and MCT 1005 have surpassed our expectations. The load charts are even better than expected and the topless design means they can work seamlessly alongside other cranes. They also have monobloc mast sections which make them quicker to erect.”
“Not only are the MCT 1105 and MCT 1005 very powerful cranes that meet most lifting demands, they were also a joy for our erectors to install. Witnessing their enthusiasm for the job and Potain’s new design developments brings us great satisfaction.”
The Neom company is developing four regional resort areas in Saudi Arabia, Marine landscapes in the Red Sea, Lower desert, Mountain and Upper valley. The Neom name is derived from the ancient Greek prefix of neo – or new, while the M comes from Mustaqbal, an Arabic word meaning future. $500 billion is being invested in the Neom project, by Saudi Arbia’s Public Investment Fund along with local and international investors.
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