Allelys upgrades 1,200 tonne AK912 crane to cut emissions on heavy lifts

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Allelys has upgraded its 1,200 tonne capacity AK912 crane with a new Stage V engine, returning one of its largest lifting assets to project operations with improved fuel efficiency, emissions performance and remote monitoring capability.

The UK heavy lift and specialist transport company installed a Deutz TCD 7.8 Stage V engine to replace the crane’s previous power unit. The work was carried out over three months at Allelys’ own workshops with technical support from Deutz UK.

The upgrade is significant for heavy lift operations where large cranes can remain deployed at project sites for extended periods and increasingly face tighter environmental requirements from clients and construction sites.

Allelys said the replacement engine brings the AK912 into line with EU Stage V emissions standards while reducing fuel consumption and operating noise. Deutz lists the TCD 7.8 as a six cylinder, 7.8 litre engine with output of up to 260 kW and maximum torque of 1,400 Nm. The manufacturer says the engine is designed for mobile machinery and complies with EU Stage V requirements.

The engine replacement was accompanied by changes to the crane’s control systems. Allelys installed a new control and instrumentation display with integrated remote monitoring, giving operators and engineering teams improved access to operating and performance information.

That capability gives the upgrade an operational dimension beyond emissions compliance. For equipment working on major power, infrastructure and industrial projects, access to operating data can help engineering teams monitor performance and identify issues without relying solely on inspections at the crane.

The AK912 occupies the top end of Allelys’ crane fleet. The company lists mobile cranes ranging from 25 tonnes to 550 tonnes alongside the AK912 pedestal crane, which has a capacity of up to 1,200 tonnes.

Rather than replacing the crane, the project retains its existing lifting capability while modernising the machinery that powers and monitors it.

“Upgrading the AK912 enables us to retain the capability of the crane while improving its efficiency, emissions performance and operational monitoring,” David Allely, chairman of Allelys, said.

Allely said the work was planned and completed internally to allow the crane to continue supporting major UK projects, while the Stage V investment was intended to address changing requirements from customers and project sites.

The upgraded crane has already moved from workshop commissioning to project work.

Following testing, Allelys deployed the AK912 to discharge two transformers weighing 186 tonnes each from a river barge. The crane lowered the units onto two 14 axle flat top trailers for onward road transport to their project site.

The operation provided a practical first test of the new power system under heavy lift conditions. Images accompanying the company’s announcement show the AK912 positioned beside an inland waterway with the project barge alongside, as well as the newly installed Deutz engine inside the crane.

The combination of barge discharge, crane lifting and modular road transport also illustrates the type of multimodal project logistics work for which large capacity cranes are maintained. A 186 tonne transformer cannot simply move from vessel to road vehicle without carefully coordinating lifting capacity, ground conditions, trailer configuration and the onward route.

The latest work follows an earlier full refurbishment of the AK912. Allelys has previously deployed the crane at the Port of Sutton Bridge for lifting critical infrastructure, describing that operation as its return to the UK market following refurbishment.

Keeping large specialist cranes operational can extend the working life of assets whose capabilities would otherwise require substantial replacement investment. In this case, the Stage V conversion allows Allelys to retain the AK912’s 1,200 tonne lifting capacity while changing the engine, instrumentation and monitoring technology around it.

Deutz says the TCD 7.8 uses common rail injection and electronic engine control and incorporates exhaust aftertreatment technology. The current engine specification covers applications including construction and material handling equipment, with output available between 160 kW and 260 kW.

For Allelys, the first transformer operation means the upgraded crane is no longer simply a workshop engineering project. It is back handling heavy project cargo, with two 186 tonne units providing the first operational test of the new Stage V power system.

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