Decades Of Reliability That Keeps Going

Raw lifting capacity wasn’t enough for Stage Two construction of the HPA First Facility in Gladstone.

Article by Cranes and Lifting

With heavy modules to install across a large site, Walz Group needed a crane built to move efficiently, adapt on the fly and perform consistently throughout the job.

The answer was already in its fleet.

Walz Group selected its 250-tonne Kobelco CKE2500 crawler crane to carry out the installation of key structural components, including three pipe racks weighing between 40 and 62 tonnes. Supported by TRT Australia, Kobelco’s distributor across Oceania, the crane has become a central part of the structural mechanical and piping works on the project.

Project Manager Patrick Sheehan said the nature of the site made the crawler crane the obvious choice.

Patrick Sheehan, Project Manager at Walz Group, on Alpha HPA’s Stage Two construction site of the HPA First Facility. Image: Prime Creative Media.

“Our scope covers structural steel, mechanical and piping installation across a fairly large site,” Patrick said. “We knew we’d be moving around regularly, so having a crawler crane that could reposition without the repeated pack-up and set-up required with an all-terrain crane made it the right fit for the job.”

The Alpha HPA Stage Two facility will be  the world’s largest single-site manufacturing facility for high-purity aluminium materials, supplying products for applications including semiconductors and advanced electronics that require high-performance materials and effective thermal management. Walz Group’s scope includes installing tanks, pipework and heavy modules across the expanding industrial site.

For the lifting work, the CKE2500 has been configured with a 48-metre main boom and an 18-metre fixed fly. According to Patrick, that single configuration has comfortably handled every lift required so far.

“We’ve completed more than 30 lifts above 30 tonnes during this stage of the project, and today’s 62-tonne pipe rack is our heaviest lift to date,” he said. “We’ve been able to do all of that without changing the boom configuration, which has been a real advantage for us.”

The flexibility of the crane extends beyond its current setup. The CKE2500 can be configured with main boom, long boom, fixed jib and luffing boom arrangements, allowing contractors to adapt it to changing site requirements. Should future work demand a different configuration, additional boom sections can be added to extend the main boom to around 70 metres.

That versatility is one of the reasons Walz Group continues to rely on Kobelco crawler cranes across major industrial projects.

“We’ve got a number of these cranes in our fleet, and they’ve proven themselves over many years,” Patrick said. “They’re simple to operate, the lift charts are straightforward, and they give us the flexibility we need across different projects.”

The company has operated Kobelco crawler cranes for decades, beginning with the 7150 before expanding its fleet with multiple 250-tonne machines. For Patrick, that long history has been built on reliability as much as lifting capability.

Walz Group’s 250-tonne Kobelco CKE2500 is handling heavy structural lifts at Alpha HPA’s HPA First Facility in Gladstone. Image: Prime Creative Media.

“They’ve developed a proven track record for us,” he said. “They’ve continued to deliver reliable performance, they’re easy for our operators to use, and they consistently provide the lifting capacity we need on projects like this.”

Operator familiarity is another benefit. Rather than adapting to unfamiliar systems between projects, crews can move onto a crane they already know well.

“Our operators enjoy working with these cranes because they’re uncomplicated,” Patrick said. “The controls and lift charts are familiar, so they can focus on the lift itself.”

Beyond its lifting performance, the CKE2500 is designed to support efficient site operations. The crane features an independent hydraulic system that enables multiple crane functions to operate simultaneously, helping deliver smooth and precise control during critical lifts. A self-erection system also reduces the need for additional equipment during assembly and disassembly, while the operator’s cab has been designed with visibility and comfort in mind for long working days on site. Supporting Walz Group’s fleet is TRT Australia, which became Kobelco’s distributor for Australia, New Zealand and the wider Oceania region in 2020.

Alongside supplying Kobelco crawler cranes, TRT provides parts, technical support and engineering assistance for customers operating the equipment across the region.

Patrick said that support has strengthened Walz Group’s long-standing confidence in the brand.

“We’ve built a good relationship with TRT and their parts department,” he said. “They’ve been very supportive, and we also have access to the modelling software we need for lift planning and checking. That gives us confidence when we’re preparing for these larger lifts.”

While major lifting projects inevitably place significant demands on equipment, Patrick said the CKE2500 has required little more than routine servicing throughout construction of Alpha HPA’s Stage Two facility. “We look after the crane, and it looks after us,” he said. “Apart from normal maintenance, we haven’t had any major issues with it during this project.”

As construction progresses, the crawler crane will continue supporting the installation of critical infrastructure across the site. For Walz Group, its selection was based on experience rather than experimentation.

“When we looked at the project and the amount of lifting involved, choosing this crane was a straightforward decision,” Patrick said. “It’s been well suited to the work from day one, and we’re expecting it to continue delivering for the rest of the project.”

TRT’s role goes beyond supplying the crane. With that backing in place, Walz Group can focus on what matters: delivering Alpha HPA’s facility safely, lift after lift.