World’s Strongest Land-Based Crane Completes Final Testing
The SK6000, recognized as the world’s most powerful land-based crane, has successfully completed its intensive testing program, overseen by Lloyd’s Register, a renowned safety and certification authority. Conducted at Mammoet’s Westdorpe facility in the Netherlands, the testing confirmed the crane’s operational excellence and adherence to the highest safety standards.
The testing process began with a comprehensive functional test program, ensuring the SK6000 performed as per its specifications. This was followed by rigorous structural and stability testing, where the crane was subjected to various lifting conditions and weights, demonstrating its ability to endure a 125% overload. These tests spanned the full range of load charts for all configurations of the main mast, from the shortest (127m) to the longest (171m).
At its peak, the SK6000 was tested to a maximum load moment of 520,000 tonne-meters—over 1.5 times greater than the rated load moment of the previous record-holder, the SK350.
The SK6000’s immense capabilities are designed to support the energy, oil and gas, and nuclear sectors. In the energy sector, it enhances the efficiency of modular construction, enabling the assembly of offshore wind farms at unprecedented scale and height. The crane’s jib can be adapted to lift up to 3,000 tons at 220 meters, enabling future construction projects to reach new heights.
In the nuclear sector, the SK6000 reduces on-site construction time and improves safety by enabling larger components to be assembled in controlled environments, allowing for quicker installations. In the oil and gas industries, the crane’s extensive reach and lifting capacity reduce disruptions during maintenance and upgrades, while delivering significant cost savings for new-build projects, from FEED to installation and beyond.
With its successful testing complete, the SK6000 will soon be boomed down, containerized, and prepared for transport to its first project in early 2025.
