Manitowoc cranes complete 10 years of lifting at landmark Chernobyl site

With the arched shelter now complete over the disused Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, many of the Manitowoc cranes employed on the project have been dismantled. Five of the eight Potain tower cranes have left the job, as have both Manitowoc 2250 crawler cranes. The cranes provided the majority of the heavy lifting work for the largest land-based moving structure ever built. 

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Thibaut Le Besnerais, global product director for tower cranes at Manitowoc, said: 

“This really was a challenging job, and Manitowoc was one of only a few companies capable of providing equipment up to the task. Our involvement in this work dates back to 2005, when a special application Potain MD 3200 was used to build the first concrete containment shelter for the project. Our expertise and customer care was also crucial as every task had to be meticulously planned within a highly detailed and organized working plan. We are extremely proud to be involved in this project and to play our part in such a feat of true engineering excellence.” 

The Potain cranes used on the project included four MR 605 B models, three MD 485 B units and one MD 345 B unit. The cranes were all supplied by Novarka, a consortium formed by French construction companies Bouygues TP and Vinci Grand Projects, which handled the project. Manitowoc’s local Ukrainian distributor Hoisting Machines Ltd., provided technical support on site. 

Potain cranes are employed around the world on large-scale industrial and infrastructure projects, and have featured on some of the world’s largest dam, bridge, power station and skyscraper developments of modern times.