A massive offshore crane manufactured by the Polish company Protea has set sail for the HVAC BorWin5 platform off the coast of Germany, where it will be installed.

Three parts of the formidable offshore crane, produced near Kluczbork at Protea's facility, were loaded onto the Wilson Brugge vessel at the BCT terminal in the Port of Gdynia on Thursday. The ship will transport the structure to Spain, from where it will proceed to its final working destination off the coast of Germany.

The structure was delivered to the Baltic Container Terminal in the Port of Gdynia in parts, which were then assembled into three segments.

 “The longest segment is 54 meters. It has a height of 6.5 meters and a width of about four. This segment will be loaded using two self-propelled cranes. These are 100-ton cranes. Next, we will load the column on which this boom will be mounted. The column weighs about 50 tons and is also oversized. Finally, as the third element, we will load the crane base onto the ship. All of this together will travel in the cargo hold to southern Europe,” describes Barbara Niwczyk, General Manager of Pentagon Freight Services, the company managing the transportation and loading. Niwczyk emphasizes that the participation of the BCT terminal, which provided not only the land and quay but also the loading equipment, was crucial in the operation.

“The elements arrived about 2-3 weeks ago. Our role at this stage is to assist with the assembly of various additional components and equipment. We support Pentagon and Protea with our loading devices to facilitate work at height and the assembly of these elements,” describes Łukasz Szulta, General Cargo Manager at BCT.

The crane was commissioned in Poland by Dragados and will be installed on the HVAC BorWin5 platform, located off the coast of Germany, which is part of a project aimed at converting the electrical energy produced by wind farms and integrating it into the mainland power grid. The final recipient of the project is Tennet.

According to the manufacturer, one of the crane’s primary advantages is its versatility. The machine is designed for unloading materials from ships and for safely transporting people in a specially designed basket. It has a maximum lifting capacity of 35 tons and a boom length of 52 meters, made from high-strength steel S690, which ensures durability in harsh conditions but also a lighter weight. The crane also features a remote service mode, which will greatly facilitate maintenance and repairs in the offshore environment.

Protea states that the remote service system is a tool designed to reduce downtime and maintenance costs, dedicated to unmanned offshore platforms. It enables the identification and execution of service tasks without personnel on board, using satellite and fiber optic communication between the platform and the land-based operator station.

Protea S.A., the company responsible for manufacturing this technologically advanced crane, has extensive experience in supplying cranes, hoists, and other lifting equipment for various industries, including renewable energy, maritime transport, industry, and waste and biomass incineration plants. The company has over 40 years of experience and is becoming a significant player in the supply chains for offshore projects.

The main headquarters of the company is located in Poland, with an office in Gdansk and a branch in Kluczbork, where the design and production of equipment take place. Protea has been successful in the offshore wind market, delivering technologically advanced solutions to clients such as Engie Fabricom, Aker, and Westcon.

An important component of the logistical puzzle for each export of oversized products by Protea is BCT. Although the Baltic Container Terminal is named after a container terminal, it also handles general cargo operations.

 “We perform all kinds of loading and unloading of oversized, heavy, specialized, and wind tower components. The spectrum is very broad,” says Łukasz Szulta.

“Our main business is containers, but since we managed to attract cooperation in handling not-so-obvious cargoes from clients like Protea and Pentagon, we do it well,” adds Dorota Dwulit, sales department manager at BCT. The ongoing modernization does not hinder the terminal’s project cargo operations, even though part of its quay is currently out of use. “We try to reconcile this. In addition to projects, we also do a lot of break-bulk and we are keen to continue. We have a steady group of clients who rely on us to keep doing this,” adds Dorota Dwulit.

 “Our team functions very well. We have been cooperating for over 10 years and I hope we will continue to do so,” emphasizes Barbara Niwczyk.