Damen Secured Contract for New Floating Crane in Panama

Damen secured a contract to build a new floating crane which will be operational in the Panama Canal. The new floating crane will replace the Titan Crane “la Grúa Titán” which has been operational in the Interoceanic Highway since 1990

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) reported that Damen was awarded the tender for the construction of the new floating crane that will replace the Titan crane, which currently operates with the Canal Dredging Division.

The new crane will be built at Damen’s shipyard in China and upgrated to allow for more lifting capacity. The construction is expected to be completed within 2 years.

Current crane

Titan, (also known as Herman the German) is a large, self-propelled crane vessel that was built in 1941 by Demag Cranes AG as Schwimmkran No. 1 for the German Kreigsmarine. The tip of its main boom standing at 374 feet (114m) above the typical water line. In 1957, it was claimed to be the largest floating crane in operation. It’s rated capacity is 350 tonnes (340 long tons / 390 short tons) at up to 114 feet (35m) from the center of rotation. The lift capacity drops to 50 tonnes (49 long / 55 short tons) at 210 feet (64m) from center, and a single rotation about its pedestal takes roughly 10 minutes.

The crane is over 75 years old and many of the fittings are still original. For example, on a visit to the Titan crane, one will see the original anchor, weighing 2500kg and a visit to the control room reveals that A/C was only just added within the last few years.

The Titan was dismantled and transported across the Atlantic through the Panama Canal to Long Beach, where it subsequently served at the Long Beach Naval Ship Yard from 1946 to 1994 when the shipyard closed.

The crane has been operational in the Panama Canal since September 19, 1999, after she was transferred there by the United States Navy.