INEOS FPS Picks Liebherr’s RL 650 Offshore Crane for Unity Platform

INEOS Forties Pipeline System (FPS) has selected Liebherr for the supply of a new Ram Luffing (RL) series offshore crane for its Unity Platform in the UK North Sea.

After more than 30 years of service, the currently installed RL crane on the Unity Platform has run its course, and will be replaced by Liebherr’s RL 650 technology.

The RL 650 crane, said to be particularly suitable for a Not Permanently Attended Installation (NPAI), will fulfil all material handling for the offshore platform, from food and provisions to spare parts supply.

The Unity Platform is located in the North Sea in 122 meters of water and is operated remotely from an onshore control center.

“We are pleased that INEOS FPS’ positive experience of our product has led to the acquisition of the RL 650 as the replacement crane for Unity. The relationship between INEOS FPS and Liebherr is one based on trust and the decades-long collaboration between the two companies demonstrates the importance of building and maintaining long-term business relationships,” said Matti Basan, Senior Sales Manager Offshore Cranes.

“The fact that the entire crane solution is designed and manufactured in-house speaks for the consistently high quality of Liebherr cranes and their impressive longevity. The Unity Platform is a strategic asset to the UK and reliability is important to our customers and our business,” added Jason Duncan, Project Lead at INEOS FPS.

In June 2023, UK-based Sparrows Group secured a three-and-a-half-year contract with INEOS FPS to provide crane and lifting equipment operations, maintenance, engineering, and inspection services on the Unity platform.

The contract includes all mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and structural maintenance of cranes and lifting equipment, which will be executed by Sparrows UK team from its headquarters in Aberdeen.