Unplanned A-frame movement on Alfa Lift crane at Jiangsu shipyard
2021Published 6 Oct 2026
Companies named in this entry: China Merchants Heavy Industry, Liebherr, Seaway 7
What happened
In October 2021, Seaway 7 reported an incident involving the main crane on Alfa Lift, a foundation installation vessel for offshore wind, then under construction at the China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI) shipyard in Jiangsu, China. The company said there had been an unplanned movement of the folding A-frame on the vessel's Liebherr HLC15000 crane, which had been installed the previous month. The crane is rated at 3,000 tonnes at 30 metres and 1,000 tonnes at a 76-metre outreach.
No one was injured. The cause was under investigation, and Liebherr said a team of its engineers was on site. Seaway 7 said it was too early to say whether the incident would affect delivery, then expected by the end of 2021 or in early 2022, and described the matter as one between the shipyard and the crane vendor. The vessel had been selected to install monopile foundations and transition pieces at the Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B offshore wind farms in the United Kingdom.
Contributing factors
The source does not give a cause. The crane had been installed the month before, while the vessel was still under construction at the shipyard.
Lessons learned
- Treat installation and early movement of large crane structures, including folding A-frames, as a controlled activity before a newbuild installation vessel is delivered.
- Investigate unplanned movement of heavy-lift crane components even when no one is injured, so the cause is known before further lifting.
- Do not assume a newbuild installation vessel will meet its delivery date after a crane incident until the yard and crane supplier have assessed any effect on the schedule.
Published 2026-10-06. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.