On 2 October Terex Demag unveiled its new giant crane, the 3,200 tonne lifting capacity CC 8800-1 Twin lattice boom crawler.

It has a maximum load moment of 43,900 tonne-metres and is billed by the manufacturer as the biggest mobile crane in the world. Firm orders have been received for three units, Steve Filipov, Terex Cranes president, told IC.

At the exclusive launch event in Germany the first unit was handed over to customer Al Jaber Heavy Lift & Transport LLC, a subsidiary of the privately owned Al Jaber Group based in Abu Dhabi. The heavy lift company was started in 1979 and is focusing on the integration of marine, overland and lifting services, explained Alex Mullins, general manager, at the handover ceremony.

Al Jaber Heavy Lift & Transport has about 300 cranes, including crawlers, all terrains and rough terrains. The new crane joins an existing fleet of large Demag lattice boom crawlers including CC 8800, CC 8800-1, CC 2800-1 and other smaller models.

Mullins went on to explain how the new crane is the result of many years of intense development work by Terex Demag and Al Jaber. As a pick and carry crane the CC 8800-1 Twin can travel with full load and saves time and space compared with ring lift cranes and lifting platforms, according to the manufacturer.

It allows the erection of heavier and larger refinery vessels more than 120 m high, 8 m in diameter and weighing 1,200 tonnes. Site preparation and time spent in the sterilisation area is minimised, Mullins explained, as the crane can be rigged outside, tracked in for the lift, and then driven out again.

The lifting power of the parallel double booms can quadruple the lifting power of the single boom CC8800-1, on which the Twin is based. The modular boom design makes the Twin suitable for a wide range of applications, for example, in the petrochemical industry, power station construction or major infrastructure projects, the manufacturer said.

The main boom is up to 117 m long and can be combined with a luffing fly jib of up to 117 m, giving a maximum hook height of more than 235 m. For erecting components in petrochemical facilities a vessel lift attachment is available, made up of parts of the luffing fly jib. This makes it possible to erect distillation columns 100 m long, weighing 1,800 tonnes.

All the accessories from the CC 8800-1 can be used on the Twin, for example, the runner or the light fixed jib to 370 tonnes. All CC 8800-1s can be rigged with a Twin kit, and share all accessories, meaning a Twin kit can also be loaned to other operators of CC 8800-1s. Even without the Twin kit the Twin can be used as a “normal” CC 8800-1 with a maximum lifting capacity of 1,600 tonnes.

For really “big lifts” the Twin kit is taken separately to the construction site. This minimises long-distance transport and makes for economical utilisation. The redundant provision of components maximises availability on the construction site, said Terex Demag. For example, the crane has two identical drive units that operate independently, and a second independent control system.

Even if one engine or control system fails, for example, as a result of a lightning strike, the CC 8800-1 Twin can continue its work, added Terex Demag.