NFT, one of the world’s leading tower crane suppliers, continues to enjoy regional growth in the Middle East. The company has boosted its market presence in Kuwait with a number of deliveries to major projects in the country.
One of the most significant has seen the first Potain self-erecting cranes enter the country. The customer, Nasser Al Hajri & Partners Company, bought an Igo T 130 and an Igo 50. NFT also won its first ever contract with local construction giant Combined Group Contracting (CGC). The company has supplied a number of high capacity MD 1100 and MD 550 cranes to lead construction on a US$164 million car park facility for Kuwait’s Ministry of Finance at Al-Farawaniya, Al-Farwaniyah Governorate, Kuwait.
The high capacity MD cranes are needed because of the precast concrete sections used in the car park design. These require loads of up to 20tonnes to be lifted, so NFT specified four MD 1100 and two MD 550 cranes, with jib lengths ranging from 40-70m and working heights from 50-73m. The maximum capacity of the MD 1100 models is 40tonnes, while the MD 550 can lift up to 25tonnes.
NFT is providing Manitowoc Crane Care support on the car park project. This includes operators, technical study and support, and delivery and installation on site of the cranes. Construction of the car park started in June 2016 with the tower cranes arriving in May 2017. CGC is renting the cranes from NFT over 29 months under a lease-to-own finance model. This arrangement gives CGC the opportunity to utilise the cranes on future projects.
