AIS Wind Energy – an Ainscough Industrial Services Company – has taken delivery of a new Liebherr LG 1750 lattice boom mobile crane.
The seven-figure investment supports AIS Wind Energy’s vision to provide a turnkey approach to managing the construction of onshore wind turbine installation and carrying out necessary decommissioning, service and repair works – efficiently and cost effectively.
The LG1750 offers fantastic versatility amongst other models of heavier cranes. It retains the strength of modern crawler cranes while offering the flexibility afforded by the quick mobilisation of a conventional mobile crane. Its design has evolved during its 18 years of production, making it ideal for fast erection work across heavy industrial construction and infrastructure, port handling and the wind energy sector.
The crane is available with a wide selection of boom configurations, including SX boom system optimised for lifting wind turbine components and can be tailored to suit the majority of any project demands and constraints. The powerful product has capacity to lift 400t at 20m radius and up to 105t at a 165m hook height and 34m radius on SX configuration.
Andrew McGlade, managing director of AIS Wind Energy, said: “As the green energy sector continues to grow, wind turbine OEMs are installing ever heavier and higher turbines! The LG1750’s height and radius capabilities provide the capacity we need to meet market requirements as they evolve and to mobilise and demobilise turbines efficiently. It will also help us reduce transportation costs compared with current crawler crane demobilisation expenditure and operate within tight restrictive sites, all while offering strength and capacity on a mobile chassis.
“Adding this crane to our specialist fleet will give clients valuable flexibility, as well as cost savings and increased control over project timescales.”
AIS Wind Energy’s LG 1750 has been initially sited at the Sandy Knowe Wind Farm, where it is completing a 15 turbine increase to the current site’s portfolio of turbines in the Scottish Hills of Dumfries. The crane is already fully booked for projects in 2024 across the UK. Beyond this, it has it’s sights set to be utilised in Ireland, Scandinavia, Germany and beyond.
Group CEO of AIS, Matthew Ainscough, continued: “This purchase demonstrates our ongoing commitment to investing in the best equipment and people as we continue to grow – cementing our position as a wind energy installation expert throughout the UK and Europe. Our business is built on a track record of complex, technical and heavy lifting expertise in hazardous environments and this new addition will help to future-proof our operations for years to come.”
The purchase was facilitated by funding support from HSBC.
