PRODUCT FOCUS
Johnson Crane Hire's LG 1750 lattice
boom mobile crane.
CASE STUDY:
BOOM IN WIND FARMS BRINGS IN LOCAL LIFT SPECIALIST
By Tarren Bolton
With 465 wind turbines to be constructed in South Africa over the next two years, specialist
heavy lift unit Johnson Renew has put its weight behind the country’s renewable energy
projects – literally.
This specialist lifter has bolstered its fleet
with two additional 750 Liebherr LG 1750
lattice boom mobile cranes with super
lift configuration to meet the exacting
demands of lifting work on new and
existing wind farms.
Cornelis Grotius, general manager
of Johnson Renew, a division of market
leader Johnson Crane Hire focused
on the renewable energy sector,
has confirmed it is bringing in two
additional 750 Liebherr LG 1750 lattice
boom mobile cranes with super lift
configuration to bolster its fleet of fit-
for-purpose mobile cranes to meet the
exacting demands of lifting work on new
and existing wind farms.
“It is exciting to see these projects
finally pushing ahead, following the sign-
off by the Department of Energy and
Eskom last year. While we are looking
forward to working with a number of
www.equipmentandhire.co.za
the 12 projects most recently approved
in Round four of the government’s
Renewable Energy Independent Power
Producer Procurement Programme
(REIPPPP), we have already secured
several contracts,” Grotius says.
Johnson Renew has years of
experience and successfully completed
lifts for the construction of several
wind turbines at various wind farms
including West Coast 1, Chaba, Waainek,
Tsitsikamma, Gibson Bay, De Aar 1 and
De Aar 2. It has also supplied transport,
cranes and installation services to the
Ombepo wind farm – Namibia’s first wind
farm – located near Luderitz.
Grotius confirms that Johnson Renew
has secured the crane services contracts
for the 120MW Golden Valley Wind Farm
near the town of Bedford in the Eastern
Cape, the 32MW Excelsior Wind Farm
near Swellendam in the Western Cape,
the 140MW capacity Kangnas Wind Farm
located near Springbok in the Northern
Cape and the 120MW Perdekraal East
Wind Farm north east of Ceres in the
Western Cape.
The first of these lifting contracts, at
Excelsior Wind Farm, started in June 2019
where 13 turbines would be installed.
This will be followed by the Kangnas
and Perdekraal contracts which will see
61 turbines and 48 turbines installed
respectively. Installation of the turbines
at Golden Valley is scheduled to begin
in September 2019. This, Grotius says,
is where Johnson Renew’s technical
expertise including the provision of
abnormal load transport, cranes and
installation services will come to the fore.
“Wind generator turbine (WGT)
components are imported from overseas,
while tower sections – in steel or
concrete – are typically manufactured
AUGUST 2019
19