First Grove GRT9165 in Brazil

Wisconsin, USA-headquartered crane manufacturer Manitowoc has sold a 150 tonne class Grove GRT9165 to Brazilian company Transdata Engenharia e Movimentação (TEM). TEM specialises in complex handling and lifting operations for some of Brazil’s largest industrial segments, including refineries, wind farms, hydroelectric plants, steel mills, and mining operations.

The Grove GRT9165 is one unit of Manitowoc’s largest capacity Grove rough terrains and it is the first of its kind to go to Brazil where it will be used for supply and maintenance operations to support offshore oil platforms in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It was delivered directly to an offshore support base in Niterói in February 2020, where it will remain for two years. It will be used exclusively by a TEM customer that specialises in supply and maintenance support for offshore platforms and other oil and gas infrastructure.

“The crane is carrying out a wide range of activities on site,” says Fabio Gaeta, executive director at Transdata. “It supports PSVs (platform-support vessels), which means lifting machinery and parts used in oil and gas exploration and production. These are very demanding tasks, which must be carried out around the clock. Aside from capacity, mobility and agility were also key factors, and despite its size, the GRT9165 can manoeuvre in small areas.”

The GRT9165 is equipped with four steering modes designed to increase manoeuvrability and facilitate crane positioning.

According to data from the Brazilian National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP), in 2019 Brazil surpassed 1 billion barrels in annual oil production for the first time - an increase of 7.78% over the previous year. In 2020, the country is expected to produce even more, despite the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We feel that the oil and gas sector is coming back strong in Brazil,” Gaeta adds. “Many of the operations that were halted in recent years are being resumed. If it weren’t for the pandemic, I believe we’d be in an even better position.”