MCG Crawlers Help Throw Power to the Wind
July 20, 2006 — The popularity of Manitowoc's Model 16000 crawler crane in wind power applications continues to rise. One recent application in this niche saw two 440-ton (U.S.) Model 16000 cranes erect a total of 66 three-section (262-ft) wind turbine generators along 18 miles of Lake Erie's northern shoreline in Ontario. The Erie Shores Wind Farm was managed by HB White Canada Corp, the Canadian subsidiary of Indiana-based White Construction USA, which owns the Model 16000 cranes.
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MCG's Model 16000 crawlers are well suited for wind power work.
The Model 16000 has an optional, pin-on 23-ft upper boom point designed for applications such as wind turbine erection and offers a lift capacity of up to 105 tons. On this job, the crawlers used the upper boom point together with a 295-ft boom.
“The Model 16000 has the power, reach, and speed needed to put the turbines together in a relatively short space of time,” said White Construction's Project Manager, Jim McDonald. “Its extended upper boom point is ideal for wind power work, and the Model 16000's fast hoist speeds and exceptional line pull are great assets. In short, it suits us down to the ground.”
The maximum main boom available for the Model 16000 is 315 ft, while the maximum combination of main boom and luffing jib totals 433 ft. The capacity-enhancing MAX-ER attachment is also available for the 16000, which can increase maximum boom length to 394 ft. The Model 16000 has a line pull of 17.4 tons and hoist speeds of up to 697 ft/minute. Optional auxiliary drums offer line pulls of 17.4 tons and 15 tons, respectively. A maximum counterweight of 226 tons is also available.
The Erie Shores Wind Farm will eventually provide 99 megawatts of electricity • enough to power 32,000 homes in the region. It is one of 10 new renewable energy initiatives set up in the Canadian province of Ontario. The project is owned by Clean Power Income Fund and developed by AIM PowerGen Corp.
