Netherlands-based global major engineered heavy lift and transport company Mammoet has announced that it has started assembly of its latest, and the world’s biggest and strongest land-based, crane, the SK6000. This is a ring crane design, and its assembly is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of this year.

“This is a thrilling new chapter for Mammoet and modular construction in heavy industry, as we see the SK6000 taking shape,” affirmed SK6000 project manager Koen Brouwers. “It will offer a hook height, outreach, and lifting capacity far in excess of any crane on the market. We are excited to bring this groundbreaking technology to our customers, helping them achieve their project goals with greater efficiency and more sustainability.”

The SK6000 will be able to lift components weighing up to 3 000 t to a height of 220 m. Its maximum lift capacity will, however, be twice that – 6 000 t. This will allow Mammoet clients to use much larger components in the construction of their projects, thereby reducing the logistical, integration and mobilisation stages of these programmes.

The new crane is based on the design philosophy of the group’s SK190 and SK350 series. The SK6000 will offer full electric operation, to facilitate the transition to clean energy sources, and reduce the carbon footprint of major construction projects.

The new design is, in fact, intended to be used for energy, including clean energy, construction projects. It will support the “constructability” of next-generation wind farms, including offshore wind farm foundation components. It will also provide new modular construction options for nuclear power plants.

And it will also be able to support the oil and gas industry. It will provide both new projects and projects for the expansion of existing facilities with unprecedented economies of scale.

The SK6000 is being assembled at the group’s site at Westdorpe in the Netherlands. The assembly is being supported by two 250 t Mammoet crawler cranes and a 140 t Gottwald mobile harbour crane. The initial phase includes the assembly of the SK6000’s base frame, power packs and control room.