VIDEO: Manitowoc powers up renewable energy efforts

Manitowoc and Shawmut Equipment are assisting Sprague Energy in receiving and staging large wind turbine components for transportation from Sprague’s Mack Point terminal in Searsport, ME.

Portsmouth, NH-based Sprague Energy is leading a large-scale project to unload and transport massive wind turbine components from vessels and rail off the coast of Searsport, ME. The company is using a fleet of five Manitowoc crawler cranes to efficiently move components from sea vessels to holding yards and then onto trucks that will take them to various wind energy farms across the state.

The operation, which began in January 2024, employs three Manitowoc MLC150s, one MLC250 and one MLC300 VPC-MAX, all of which perform up to 30 lifts per day. Loads vary from 24.2 tons to 101.4 tons, and the work is expected to conclude in October 2024.

Sprague Energy, Shawmut Equipment and a partnering transportation company are working on the Searsport project together. The process of unloading and moving the parts demands exceptional coordination and precision. Some larger components, like turbine blades, can reach lengths of up to 250 feet and require two cranes working in tandem to lift them.

“Our Manitowoc cranes work together to lift the windmill’s tower sections, blades, hubs, drives and nacelles,” said Cameron Giroux, terminal supervisor, Sprague Energy. “Due to the significant distance between pick points on the turbine blades, we are fortunate to be able to execute two-crane lifts. We rig the components with slings, shackles, and hooks, and use a block and tackle at one end to maintain even pressure and prevent twisting of the blades. After that, we use the cranes to stage loads for the next phase.”