What makes Babcock the chosen provider
Lifting customers' expectations, one project at a time
In recent years, our equipment hire fleet has grown to more than 160 cranes, ranging from 8 tons to 600 tons. These units are distributed nationally and to other SADC countries, and we are expanding our crane hire services to some of the major oil, gas, refining and other industrial enterprises in South Africa.
Our plant hire business has become the largest empowered mobile lifting equipment and plant hire service provider in southern Africa. “In addition to investing in new cranes, we’ve opened up a dedicated branch in Rustenburg to focus on serving mining operations in the area. “A 40 ton, 130 ton and two 220 ton cranes have been deployed to this branch and our Rustenburg field service team is fully-equipped to service at the customer site and at our workshop,” says Ian Kendrick, MD Plant Hire Services, Babcock.
Our combined fleet is utilised on a wide range of customer projects which range from substantial infrastructure development and mining, to wind farms and marine projects. While our fleet and expertise keep growing, our core purpose and foundation stays the same.
What makes Babcock the chosen plant hire service provider:
One-stop-shop: Our mobile crane services fleet, rigging and transportation assets enable us to provide a complete plant hire solution for our customers.
Expertise and advice: We identify and specify the appropriate equipment to meet your operational demands. We work in conjunction with customers’ cost efficiency requirements.
Availability of equipment: The range and location of our fleet ensures optimal utilisation. Our strict maintenance schedules ensure downtime of the fleet is kept to a minimum.
Workshop facilities: Our extensive branch network in southern Africa is equipped with workshop facilities.
A few success stories...
Airproducts - cryogenic tank installation
In October 2017 we received an order from ‘Air Products’ for cranage and rigging to install a cryogenic tank at their plant in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal. The tank weighed a whopping 88 tons, and was installed using the Liebherr LTM1500, 500 ton crane.Our plant hire services team load- tested the lifting frame to 104 tons at the plant yard in Jet Park, and the installation went so well that Air Products placed an order in April 2018 to install a second tank. The order request was for an entire cranage and rigging package, with transportation from Germiston to Newcastle.
Transnet - derailed train lift
In February 2018, Transnet enlisted the help of our Cape Town branch to lift a 180 ton electric locomotive that had derailed in Kathu. The Liebherr LTM1400 and the LTM1500 were used in tandem to place the locomotive back on the tracks from a position where it was lying on its side. The line was isolated from 1pm to 4pm, during which time the recovery of the locomotive had to take place. We were responsible for the cranage and rigging services. Again, a successful outcome resulted in two additional orders for locomotive recoveries.
Sappi Ngodwana - evaporator column installation
During March 2018, Babcock installed 10 evaporator columns at Sappi Ngodwana using the LTM1500, 500 ton mobile crane. The tailing operation was done by a Tadano ATF 220G-5, 220 ton mobile crane. The columns lifted a mass between 36 and 74 tons.
Sappi Ngodwana - cooler removal and installation
Our team offloaded a complex cooler for Sappi Ngodwana in March 2018 using a Liebherr LTM1500, 500 ton mobile crane. During the annual shutdown in May 2018, we will also be removing the existing cooler and installing the new one using the Liebherr LG1550, 600 ton lattice boom crane with 200 ton counterweights. The cooler has a mass of 95 tons. “Despite the short time frame to commission the project, our team responded swiftly to the brief and delivered an engineered solution not only within the specified time constraints but it also exceeded the client’s expectations,” says Etienne Wannenburg, Project and System Engineering Manager at Babcock.
With a proven track record in delivering safe and reliable plant hire services to better assist our customers with their shutdown procedures, Babcock is constantly adapting to meet the ever-changing needs of our customers and we will continuously deliver first-class expertise and safety that makes us a trusted partner today.