Fibre rope comes to offshore

The development, called FibreTrac, is suited to offshore applications as fibre rope is almost weightless in water, so regardless of the length of the rope used, it adds little to the weight of the load.

Høye Høyesen, vice president of Advanced Offshore Solutions at MacGregor, said: “In practical terms, this means that a smaller crane and vessel can be used for more assignments, and owners are able to bid on a wider range of contracts.

“The ability to use smaller vessels for deep-water projects will also drive down the cost of these operations and give our customers a stronger competitive edge.

“Feedback from the event was extremely positive. We were able to present the finished crane to demonstrate how the shift from steel-rope to fibre-rope in offshore cranes is technologically possible and how the crane delivers substantial cost benefits to owners, particularly for deep-water projects.

“Questions were answered and we could show that although the crane is new, the technology is tested, combining decades of MacGregor’s load handling expertise with the fibre-rope tensioning and handling skills of Parkburn Precision Handling Systems.”

The crane is designed to comply with DNV GL regulations, and has a 150t safe working load capacity, as well as incorporating an advanced rope monitoring and management system that enhances rope lifespan and provides lift line status information for the operator at all times.