Two days at OTC in May 2019 with Mammoet and ALE

On a day such as today when there is not too much news to publish HeavyLiftNews.com recalls the news on 2 days in May 2019

In 2019 the demand for the lifting of larger and heavier modules for FPSO and FLNG construction was growing as clients recognised the benefits this construction methodology could bring. The largest crane for this work in ALE’s inventory was their AL.SK350 which had performed world record module lifts in the range of 3,000t.

An announcement by ALE had been promoted online for weeks before 7 May as being the biggest news to break at OTC but with no details of what would be announced on that day.

Then on 7 May 2019, the second day of OTC in Houston, ALE announced their plans for the world’s largest capacity land-based crane, the SK10,000 crane with capacity for a 10,000t lift.

The SK10,000 was designed to allow modules to be installed directly onto ship’s hulls, far in advance of what has been possible to date in terms of both lift weights and impact on project efficiency.

… except it would not be the world’s largest land-based crane, because 24 hours earlier, on the first day of OTC in Houston, Mammoet had announced the MSG1000 Concept Crane, with lifts significantly increased – up to 18,000 metric tons.”

The competition between the two companies was short lived as they announced on 9 July 2019 that they were at an advanced stage of discussions concerning the take over of ALE by Mammoet. On 8 January 2020, just 8 months after their announcements at OTC in Houston, Mammoet headlined the completion of the acquisition of ALE.

These events made certain that HeavyLiftNews.com was not short of any news on those days!

Source Mammoet and ALE (and HLN.com)