Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering Sdn Bhd is using two Manitowoc 16000s to construct a large semi-submersible vessel as part of the Gumusut-Kakap deep-water oil field, a major oil exploration project. Both cranes are also equipped with Manitowoc’s MAX-ER capacity-enhancing attachment.
Ahmad Zaki Abd Malik, senior general manager of operations at MMHE, said the company chose to purchase, rather than rent the cranes, because it represents better long-term value.
“Based on past experience, we know these cranes have a working life of 20 years or longer, so for us it made sense to purchase rather than rent,” he said. “We own some cranes and rent others, but as our company expands, we are purchasing more. This current project will involve a lot of heavy lifting, and the 16000s are perfect. We know even after this job is complete, we will continue to get many years of reliable service from these cranes on other jobs.”
The 400 t capacity Model 16000 cranes are working at the MMHE fabrication yard in Pasir Gudang in Johor state, Malaysia. They are lifting loads of 50 t to 200 t including pre-assembled structural elements that weigh up to 200 t. Some of the lifts are carried out in tandem.
MMHE owns cranes between 200 t and 600 t capacities, including several older Manitowoc 4100Ws and M250 cranes. The company purchased the 4100Ws in 1987, and they are the oldest cranes in the fleet. In 1994, MMHE added the M250 cranes before purchasing the Model 16000 cranes in 2009. In recent months, two M250 cranes were sent to the Manitowoc Crane Care facility in Singapore for refurbishment. This work has ensured many more years of productive service.
At present, MMHE is also renting 16 cranes from local suppliers with capacities ranging from 150 t to 1,200 t. Over 60 percent of the company’s activities are currently given over to engineering and construction. MMHE anticipates an increase in demand for oilrigs and other associated equipment, and plans to add more cranes in the future.
The company started out in 1973 in the shipbuilding and repair industry. Today, its activities are focused on LNG and tanker repairs, conversion of Floating Production Storage and Offloading units and Floating Storage Units, and engineering and construction for oil and gas industries.
Jack Lee, general manager of Manitowoc Crane Care in Asia-Pacific, said MMHE has an excellent operational setup.
“Our relationship with MMHE goes back over 20 years, and we act as a strategic partner to help provide cranes and support their needs,” he said. “The company has an excellent program of support, maintenance and training and makes good use of our Manitowoc Crane Care services. Doing this has allowed MMHE to get better use of its Manitowoc cranes.”