Sarens is proud to announce that our cranes and crane operators will be supporting work at Sonangol’s Barra do Dande Ocean Terminal (TOBD) in Angola. Sarens has been contracted to supply five crawler cranes, two mobile cranes, seven crane operators, one supervisor, and two riggers for construction work at the terminal. The equipment provided for client OECI (Odebrecht Engineering and International Construction) includes: 

• 1 x CC2800

1 x CC2500
1 x CC1100
2 x SCC8300
1 x LTM1150
1 x LTM1100
 

Four Sarens crawler cranes will support piling activities from a barge, one crawler crane will assist with the construction of the breakwater wall, and the two mobile cranes will provide additional support as and where required. The cranes are expected to remain on site between 12-14 months.

Due to the fact that the breakwater is newly constructed, it will be crucial to ensure adequate ground bearing conditions as work on the site commences. Additionally, since the cranes will be working close to the ocean, maintenance and upkeep of Sarens equipment will be a top priority, though there will be challenges given the remote worksite and limited local suppliers. Finally, since some of the cranes will be working on barges, Sarens will be especially vigilant about safely fastening the cranes to the barges and providing a safe working area in all sea conditions.

A particular challenge has been the temporary import of equipment to Angola, which required a variety of import-related and supporting documents for final clearance. Two 250-tonne crawler cranes, the CC2800 and CC2500, were already locally available and were mobilised and assembled at the worksite within 4-5 days per crane. The CC1100 and two mobile cranes, however, had to be mobilised from South Africa. Due to vessel shortages, the bulk of the components were loaded onto a RoRo vessel while others were delivered via road freight. The final two cranes were mobilised from the UK and faced similar shipping challenges. 

With the cranes now on site, Sarens is excited to get work underway! We wish everyone a safe and successful project execution in the coming months.