NFT Group has purchased two landmark Potain tower cranes and immediately shipped both to a high-profile tourist destination under construction in Saudi Arabia as part of the vast NEOM development. One of the cranes is an MCT 1105, the largest topless tower crane from Potain, and the other is one of the previous largest models, an MCT 1005.
Long-time Potain partner NFT Group boasts one of the world’s most extensive tower crane fleets, including several of the giant MD 1100 – a forerunner to the MCT 1105.
The cranes are scheduled to work onsite for nine months on Sindalah, a luxury Red Sea Island resort, and part of Saudi Arabia’s NEOM project. Using large capacity tower cranes was the only option for the jobsite, owing to limited space and the fact there are no accessible routes for mobile or crawler cranes on the 840,000m2 island. The timeframe is tight for construction too, so a precast design is being used to speed up the build time. This means the cranes have to place concrete modules of up to 20-30t.
Both have been configured with 50m jibs for the project, although they can accommodate up to 80m. The MCT 1005 is working with a 43.1m height under hook, while the MCT 1105 has a 63.1m height under hook. Maximum possible freestanding height for both is 69.7m. Both cranes can also lift a maximum of 50t, however, the MCT 1005 will lift 8t at its 80m jib radius, while the MCT 1105 can lift an impressive 11t at the same radius. When working with a 50m jib, as on the Sindalah project, the MCT 1005 will lift 21.5t at the jib end, and the MCT 1105 will lift 22.8t.
