Lifting equipment manufacturer, Demag Cranes & Components Ltd, has installed a specialist crane system at Enviropower Ltd’s energy from waste plant in Lancing, West Sussex. The £12.5 million renewable energy facility processes biomass, typically timber and cardboard waste from the construction and demolition industries, for the generation of electricity.

To meet the specific materials handling operations at Enviropower’s plant, Demag installed a 10t SWL, 13.25m span, double girder grabbing crane. Mounted on the crane is a wire rope hoist with a 10 cu m bucket grab on a 12.4m hook path. The system has cross travel speeds of 3-30m/min, long travel speeds of 4-70m/min and hoisting speeds of 1-16m/min.

The crane system is fully automated to permit 24 hour unmanned and uninterrupted operation, with radio remote control also available for manual operation. The “intelligent” system is programmed to lift biomass from the highest pile of material in the fuel store and deposit it into each of two input feeds, when sensors indicate that the combustors require replenishment.

A number of features were incorporated, within the system design, to meet the extremely arduous operating environment. Motors are inverter driven for smooth control of movement and accurate positioning accuracy, reducing the amount of airborne dust in the workplace. The crane also has thermal protection in all motions, together with IP55 rated enclosures on all motors and panels. Safety features include overload protection, anti derailment and slack rope detection.
The Lancing facility processes up to 150 tonnes of biomass per day, with an output capacity of over 5MW. Electricity generated at the plant is used to power all operations at the site. The surplus energy, which represents some 85% of electricity generated by the facility, is exported to the grid. The state-of-the-art plant incorporates a number of environmentally friendly initiatives, including high efficiency flue filters, which minimise air pollution from the combustion process.

Enviropower’s Plant Manager, Mick Adams, stated:
“Our decision to work with Demag on this project was based on the company’s reputation for quality and reliability, as well as an industry recommendation, highlighting Demag’s proven expertise in the energy from waste industry.”

Demag Cranes & Components Ltd, Banbury, Oxfordshire OX16 1QZ
Telephone enquiries to: 01295 676177 • Fax enquiries to: 01295 271408
Email enquiries to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Website: www.demagcranes.com