INDUSTRY FUTURE Ӏ NOVEMBER 2022
huge backlog of work, with some of the most urgent and sensitive being the need to repair or replace dangerous bridges. This problem has resulted
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in calls for a network of heavy transport corridors to be created across Europe, along with investment in the bridge network, and ESTA is optimistic that the EU and the member states will eventually agree - because if they do not, it will not be possible to transport many heavy loads from their factory to their location. However, to really drive change
successfully on multiple fronts, we need something more fundamental - namely a commitment from our political masters to effective and timely consultation. Too often, regulatory changes
are proposed - and sometimes even enacted - without any consultation with the industry's manufacturers or users. Such an approach is a recipe for bad decisions, wasted time and resources and should not be acceptable. A recent example is the EU's
new planned European Machinery Regulations which ESTA and others have pointed out are completely unworkable. It has, to say the least, been a turbulent few years. But even in these difficult times, there are reasons to be cheerful. Covid reminded us of the importance of meeting in person - not just for the social fun of it, but because personal meetings help us to learn from each other, to cement existing business relations and create new ones. This year, ESTA held our first
in-person awards event since 2019. It was a stark and very enjoyable reminder that such in-person networking benefits the whole industry. Long may it continue. For more about the European
Crane Operators Licence go to
www.ecol-esta.eu or contact ESTA directly via
www.estaeurope.eu.
Gavin Kerr,
Director Global Cranes, Mammoet
GAvIN KERR, director global cranes MAMMoET:
The heavy lifting industry is facing a time of great change and we must adapt to the challenges and opportunities presented by broader trends in society. The scale and number of renewables projects is rising sharply as we move to a zero-carbon society, while heavy lifting work across all industries must support customers work to reduce their carbon impacts. In parallel, the gathering momentum of digitalisation is opening new possibilities in how projects can be delivered as accurately, promptly and safely as possible. I am pleased to say that the
industry is stepping up to the mark in meeting these challenges and taking advantage of ways to work more efficiently.
AWAY FROM FOSSIL FUELS Electrification of equipment represents an important way of reducing our industry’s use of fossil fuels as the full supply chain seeks to de-carbonise. From developer to EPC to heavy lift specialist there is firm recognition that a move to electric powered equipment would help to reduce the supply chain carbon footprint of projects. Although electric power is nothing new in applications such as domestic cars, the huge forces that heavy lifting equipment must
generate has meant progress in our sector has been slower. But today, large cranes such as Mammoet’s SK6000 are capable of being powered entirely by electricity which delivers important emissions savings for projects, as well as SHE-Q benefits. We also looked at how to pair
electric motive power with new crane formats to deliver broader benefits. This led to our Wind Turbine Assembly (WTA) crane, which is powered by electricity and uses the tower of wind turbines to support itself rather than a conventional crane structure. This means savings in the carbon
footprint of a project can be made not only in the removal of fossil fuel emissions from operating the crane, but also from the logistics that would otherwise be required to move around and assemble a typical crawler or tower crane. Other alternative fuels such
as HVO – a strong intermediate alterative for use in diesel engines – and, in the longer term, hydrogen must also be explored. With HVO already in use across a number of Mammoet projects, we have also conducted successful trials with it, including skidding a transformer. The challenge now is to ensure
we as an industry can scale up availability of equipment that does not require fossil fuels for power so that these become the norm across projects as soon as possible. There is a virtuous circle here with the increase in renewables work leading to more clean energy and therefore greater availability for future projects. This must be done in the context of owner operators taking greater involvement in how suppliers across multiple tiers can support the minimisation of their project’s carbon footprint.
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