May 2016

Fertiliser factory

A new fertiliser factory is being built in Hungary with the strong support of Prangl.

Country:Hungary

City:Petfürdö

Date:January 2016 – October 2016

Sales:Jürgen Kirschner
Krisztian Kovacs

The challenge

A wide range of Prangl equipment in use in Hungary

A Hungarian fertiliser manufacturer is currently building a plant to granulate ammonium nitrate. The existing company location in Pétfürdö (Hungary) is therefore being expanded accordingly. From autumn 2016, the factory will granulate 1,550 tonnes of ammonium nitrate and 1,960 tonnes of calcium ammonium nitrate. Prangl is supporting this large project virtually exclusively with aerial work platforms, mobile cranes and telehandlers.

Our solution

Telescopic cranes, telehandlers and aerial work platforms on site

Prangl is working both in the area of manufacturing and installing the piping and its brackets, and installing around 75 appliances with a total weight of about 1,200 tonnes. This project phase started in January 2016 for Prangl. The last operations will take place in September/October 2016. The first appliances and pieces of piping were lifted using telescopic cranes with lifting capacities of between 100 and 350 tonnes. For the installation team, 4 tonne and 6 tonne telehandlers, 20 metre diesel aerial work platforms and 10 metre electric aerial work platforms are also running.

400-tonne crawler crane for difficult lifting

The heavy lifting was planned for April/May 2016. A pipe bridge inside the fertiliser plant with an elevation of 4.8 metres meant that six of the eight appliances that arrived had to be lifted over. The limited space and tight schedule were particularly challenging. A 400 tonne crawler crane with a 66 metre main boom and a Superlift counterweight of 200 tonnes was used to lift over the pipe bridge. With individual weights of 112 tonnes and 80 tonnes, and total lengths of just under 23 metres, the heaviest items lifted were the two parts of the absorption tower.

Setting up and dismantling the large crane was time consuming

Another challenge was lifting the process gas cooler that weighs 93 tonnes, has a diameter of 5.8 metres and is 5.4 metres high. Due to the limited space, the entire team was also challenged when storing the eight appliances intermediately. A 350 tonne and a 160 tonne telescopic crane were used to put all components into their proper place on the same day as planned. The crawler crane was then relocated from the pipe bridge to the north construction site. As driving was not possible, the large crane had to be completely dismantled and re-assembled.

Professional alternative solution ensured the complete concept

The first three appliances were then lifted on the north side before the giant crane was moved to the east side of the construction site fully-assembled. Due to pipes that were laid underground in the interim and that do not permit any ground pressure at all, a hastily arranged on-site inspection searched for an alternative solution to be able to actually lift the three intended appliances on the east construction site. The Prangl experts even had a plan for this spontaneous problem. The complete concept could therefore be continued.

Tandem lifting by two giant cranes

After this project step was complete, the 400 tonne crawler crane was driven back to the north side, again in a fully assembled condition, where it worked in tandem with a 350 tonne telescopic crane to turn and lift the two parts of the absorption tower. A 100 tonne telescopic crane with personnel basket was brought in for the final installation work. Thanks to the active assistance of the entire Prangl team, the planned work was able to be carried out quicker than predicted and to the full satisfaction of all involved.

Exemplary cooperation by the international Prangl team

The co-operation between the Hungarian and Austrian colleagues was excellent and was ultimately decisive for successful completion of the work steps up to now. The next large project is planned for the end of June 2016, when the compressor train (total weight of 92 tonnes) will be lifted. The 400 tonne crawler crane with a 90 metre main boom and a Superlift counterweight of 240 tonnes will also be used here.