Grove GTK1100 debuts on wind power site in Germany

Manitowoc's Grove GTK1100 crane has completed its inaugural lift series at a jobsite in Germany. The distinctive crane, with its unique design and transportation abilities, first appeared at the Bauma 2007 tradeshow in Munich, Germany. Following further tests at Manitowoc's Wilhelmshaven factory in Germany, the first unit went to work in December 2007 for owner Wiesbauer.

Jochen Wiesbauer, managing director of Wiesbauer, said the crane had lived up to all expectations.

"Because these lifts were the first in a field setting we took extra caution and double-checked everything," said Wiesbauer. "But even with this, the cost and time savings compared to other lift solutions were exceptional."

The GTK1100's first job was in Ilshofen, Baden WÃ 1/4rtembergin the southern part of Germany. Energy provider Repower Systems is installing a 2 kW wind turbine at the location and selected the GTK for an initial project.

Efficient transport is a key benefit of the GTK1100. The crane is designed to travel on only four or five trailers depending on its configuration and local road regulations. For the Baden WÃ 1/4rtemberg job the crane required only four trailers as there was no counterweight required for the lifting configuration.

The GTK1100 completed five lifts on the jobsite. The first three were the wind turbine tower mast sections that weighed 68.3 tons, 58.4 tons and 49.6 tons. Next, was the installation of the heaviest element, the nacelle, which weighed 77.1 tons. Finally, the crane positioned the three rotor blades (each weighing 8.8 tons) which were assembled on the ground before being lifted as a single 46.3-ton load.

Among those present at the GTK1100's first lift was Frans Vanwinkel, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Manitowoc in EMEA. He said those who saw the crane perform got an understanding of its true benefits.

"The crane worked perfectly on this job and the erection and dismantling was fast and smooth," he said. "Unlike traditional lifting solutions on projects such as these, the GTK allowed Repower Systems to save on ground preparation costs. These savings come through a combination of reduced space requirement on site and greater stability on uneven ground because of the GTK's advanced outrigger design."

Manitowoc welcomed several dozen potential customers to the site while the lifts were taking place. Vanwinkel said this was a perfect opportunity to highlight its capabilities.

"We invited customers and potential customers from Asia, North America, South America and Europe to this job," he said. "Seeing the GTK in action, on site, really opened a lot of people's eyes to its full capabilities."

The GTK1100 has a 251-foot vertical tower which is topped with a five-section 196.9-foot telescopic boom. It is able to lift loads of more than 77.1 tons to heights of over 393.7 feet.