LADOL Free Zone has performed the first heavy-lift project in West Africa using the Mammoet Mast-Type Crane (MTC 15) shore crane – the largest of its kind in the world.
The heavy lift project, which took place on Tuesday, September 07, 2021, involved the offloading and launching of a multi-Cat 320-tons vessel into the water using the MTC crane. The successful use of this crane opens up a new era for heavy lift operations in West Africa.
BusinessDay understands that using the MTC crane installed at LADOL’s quayside eliminates a major impediment to 100 percent local vessel fabrication and other large industrial projects taking place in Nigeria.
Presently, there are many ports across the world even in Europe and America that lack the heavy-lift capabilities now installed in LADOL, making Nigeria the heavy-lift hub in West Africa.
This giant step forward in maritime and industrial capabilities also comes with a 40 – 50 percent cost saving. MTC -15 is the biggest installed shore crane of its kind in West Africa and has transformed LADOL quayside into a heavy lift terminal.
Commenting on the successful and historic heavy-lift project, Amy Jadesimi, managing director of LADOL, thanked all stakeholders including the staff and management involved in enabling the Free Zone to reach the momentous milestone.
Michael Onobiokor, LADOL SHEQ Manager, appreciated everyone for the exemplary safety leadership that was demonstrated during the critical lift. He noted that the cooperation and compliance of all those involved, demonstrated the commitment to putting safety first.
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Jide Jadesimi, LADOL’s Executive Director, Business Development, said that on September 7, 2021, the air was full of excitement and anticipation as history was being made with the first-ever heavy lift by a terminal in Lagos Harbour.
Jadesimi said that the Mammoet MTC 15 heavy-lift crane hoisted the 320-tons vessel into the air, from the deck of the cargo vessel which was berthed at the LADOL quayside.
“The decades of experience, hours of practice, unrelenting hard work, and constant flow of communication between all involved meant that the project worked like clockwork. We thanked the Nigerian Ports Authority, whose marine division supported the project through timely and skilled deployment of the NPA tugboat, which were instrumental in manoeuvring the large cargo vessel as the heavy-lift took place. We look forward to supporting a range of local and regional projects in the near future,” he explained.
Olivier Dirkzwager, sales manager of Mammoet West Africa, said that LADOL’s infrastructure combined with the MTC 15 crane unlocked the smarter routes for heavy cargo in Nigeria.
To him, the successful delivery and discharge of the multi-Cat vessel is a testament to that fact, and is the first of many more successful projects that would be completed at LADOL.
Recall that in 2020, LADOL and Mammoet signed a strategic partnership, aimed at expanding LADOL’s capacity for project cargo handling and logistics for industrial sectors in West Africa.
This enables LADOL to use Mammoet’s crane fleet, project cargo handling, and heavy lifting expertise along with project management services to provide clients with more comprehensive and cost-effective solutions.
