Volume 9 Issue 1
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 $5.00
INFRASTRUCTURE
PROSPECTS
Crane sector poised for second wind in Alberta CanWEA forecasts $8.3 billion in new wind projects BY SAUL CHERNOS
W
ith the Alberta government opening the door to wind and other renewable energy projects, cranes could be in for some heavy
lifting. An Alberta government incentive program to support 5,000 megawatts (MW ) of renewable energy capacity by 2030 has raised eyebrows in a province struggling with depressed fossil fuel prices. A new report by The Delphi Group, commissioned by the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA), forecasts roughly $8.3 billion in new wind projects, with $3.7 billion spent within the province, if wind constitutes 90 per cent
Crews at BluEarth Renewables’ Bull Creek Wind Project southeast of Wainwright, Alta. unload a tower section with help from 165-ton Liebherr LTM 1130 and 160-ton Tadano ATF130 all-terrain cranes. Photo courtesy of BluEarth Renewables.
of the renewable energy supply by 2030. Solar, biomass and geothermal projects are also eligible. But the Alberta Wind Energy Supply Chain Study, financed in part by the provincial government, estimates that if wind meets the 90 per cent target then the sector would contribute nearly 15,000 job-years of employment, $25.5 million in municipal property taxes and $13.5 million in land lease payments to landowners. “There’s a real opportunity here,” said Evan Wilson, CanWEA’s regional director for the Prairie provinces. “A lot of the money will be going to companies, employees and industries that can move continued on page 12
INFRASTRUCTURE
Ready to take on the biggest
Port of Prince Rupert invests in new cranes BY ANDREW SNOOK
T
he Port of Prince Rupert is ready to service the largest vessels in the ocean. The port’s ability to now service 20,000-plus TEU vessels is thanks to DP World’s completion of its Phase 2 North expansion project that allowed for a significant increase in container throughput at Prince Rupert’s Fairview Container terminal. The project started shortly after DP World purchased the Fairview Container Terminal in August 2015 and was completed a little over two years later this past August.
At the time the expansion began, the terminal had a capacity of 850,000 TEUs, one vessel berth of 360 metres, and its cranes had a reach of 22 containers wide to service 13,000 TEU vessles. Now, the terminal features a second vessel berth for a total length of 800 metres and has increased its capacity to 1.35 million TEU annually. The terminal now features three brand-new Malaccamax cranes built by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. (ZPMC) in addition to its existing four Super-post Panamax cranes. “The new Malaccamax cranes
A Linden Comansa 21LC550 tower crane is being used to build the new Champlain Bridge’s main pylon, which will be 170 metres tall. Photo courtesy of Linden Comansa.
Crane sightings continue in Montreal
Champlain Bridge attracts a Linden Comansa tower crane
BY SAUL CHERNOS
ranes continue to flock to one of Canada’s biggest infrastructure projects. With a projected $4.239-billion cost, the 3.3-kilometre Champlain Bridge crosses the St. Lawrence Seaway has been attracting a steady who’s who of cranes. Two Manitowoc MLC650 lattice-boom crawlers worked in tandem earlier on to hoist a lower crossbeam and connect the bridge’s two concrete tower legs. A Manitowoc 16000 lattice-boom crawler ferried large components for the back span. A pair of Manitowoc M250 crawlers with M-1200 ringer attachments operated from barges to raise massive steel tub girders. And a Dorman Long DLMT1000 mega transporter nicknamed Thor the Ant delivered precast concrete footings and side-span piers. The latest member of the team, a Linden Comansa 21LC550
C
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dock gantry cranes are about 40 feet taller and have a reach of 25 containers wide,” explains Brian Friesen, director of trade development for the Port of Prince Rupert. “They have the ability to work a 20,000 TEU vessel, the widest reaching vessels
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