Johnson Crane Hire has established Johnson Renew, a division focusing on the renewable energy market.
Johnson Crane Hire has been involved in the renewable energy sector since 2008, when it lifted wind turbines for Darling wind farm in the Western Cape. Since then, the company has undertaken heavy lifts in the construction and maintenance of a number of wind farms in the country.
Today, the crane hire operation is a prominent contractor in the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement (REIPPP) programme where it is working alongside multi-national specialists in green energy projects. These include Vestas and Siemens. Most recently, Johnson Crane Hire supplied support cranes for the loading and offloading of various components making up wind generators, complementing the company’s main crane lifting solutions, at the Gibson Bay Wind Farm construction site.
According to Cornelis Grotius, general manager of Johnson Crane Hire’s heavy lift division, the establishment of Johnson Renew provides the group with the focus it needs to grow its presence in the wind energy market, as well as other key renewable energy projects. “This includes Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) projects, where our transport solution, as part of a full turnkey capability, is expected to add significant value.”
He adds that Johnson Renew has access to the largest Liebherr crane fleet in southern Africa through Johnson Crane Hire, ranging from eight ton units to the 750 t LR 1750 crawler crane. The company also owns one of two LG 1750 lattice boom truck mount cranes in the country, procured specifically to work on wind projects.
The group’s long-standing business relationship with Liebherr includes technical support and operator training from the leading German original equipment manufacturer. This is complemented by the group’s own in-house technical maintenance capabilities that keep these cranes in top condition.
