The chemical industry represents one-third of Belgium's total exports and is the third-largest chemical exporter in the EU, generating 62 billion in 2024 .
Sarens, together with Engineering Experts, installed and moved a 45-ton tank at the PVS Chemicals plant. To carry out this work, they selected an AC700 in HaSSL configuration as a 500T, a 12L SPMT with a truck, a 70T auxiliary crane, and some ballast trucks.
This new equipment will support the increased production at PVS Chemicals, global supplier of basic and specialized chemical products for a wide variety of markets, such as electronics, manufacturing, iron and steel, agriculture, metal finishing, water treatment, and food processing.
The chemical industry is one of the most important in Belgium, having the country doubled its spending on R&D in this sector over the last decade. Chemical industry is a cornerstone of the country 's economy, generating revenues of €75 billion and creating nearly 100,000 direct jobs*. Belgium ranks as the third-largest exporter of chemicals in the European Union, having generated €62 billion in 2024 from the distribution of its products, according to Eurostat*2. Furthermore, it accounts for 40% of the industrial value-added.
At a time of growth and market opportunity, Sarens, world leader in heavy lifting, engineered transport, and crane rental services, has established itself as a relevant player in the chemical industry thanks to its extensive experience in national and international projects, state-of-the-art equipment and machinery, capable of adapting to the requirements of any project, and its highly qualified professionals. An example is the recent work carried out for its client PVS Chemicals at their Ghent factory, where Sarens performed the heavy lifting and transport of a new tank to support the plant's increased production.
To undertake the job, Sarens' heavy lifting team worked together with Engineering Experts, the project partner responsible for the engineering and project management work, to conduct a preliminary site study to determine how to carry out the operation and what equipment was necessary. Following the assessment, they selected an AC700 in HaSSL configuration as a 500T, a 12L SPMT with a truck, a 70T auxiliary crane, and some ballast trucks. This was chosen especially because it was more efficient for this specific job to have an SPMT with a truck rather than assembling it on-site.
The AC700 crane was transported to site and installed the day before the work to advance its assembly and preparation, in order to proceed directly with the main equipment fully prepared. The SPMT and the load-spreading platforms were transported and installed on-site on the morning of the operation day, requiring two additional transports.
The tank to be transported and installed weighed 45 tons, with a height of 16.5 meters and a width of 8.7 meters. The main logistical challenge of the operation was the limited space available to position the crane where the tank needed to be loaded. The crane had to be positioned very close to the tank to access it, but it had to bridge an underground channel where it could not be placed.
For the transport, additional mats were needed to distribute the load, and additional weight had to be provisioned to lower the center of gravity and increase stability. As a meteorological complication, the operation day was very cloudy, but this did not prevent the transport and installation operations from being carried out correctly and within the estimated time.
This new equipment will support the increased production at PVS Chemicals, a leading global supplier of basic and specialized chemical products for a wide variety of markets, such as electronics, manufacturing, iron and steel, agriculture, metal finishing, water treatment, and food processing.
Specifically, at the Ghent plant, PVS produces, among others, chlorosulphonic acid, used in the pharmaceutical industry and in chemical synthesis; ultra-high pure sulphuric acid, for high-end applications such as the production of microchips, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, or photovoltaic applications; and also technical grade sulphuric acid, used in a wide range of applications such as wastewater treatment, pH regulation, car batteries, fertilizers, and the paper industry.
Sarens has experience working on other highly complex projects in Belgium, as the transport of tanks for the Citrosuco plant in Ghent or the maintenance of Cargill's facilities, providing it with the necessary machinery to maximise its biodiesel production, demonstrate the company's capacity to undertake all kinds of projects with maximum efficiency, regardless of their characteristics and degree of complexity.
About Sarens
Sarens is the global leader and reference in crane rental, heavy lift and engineered transportation services. With state-of-the-art equipment, value engineering, one of the world's largest inventories of cranes, transporters and special rigging equipment, Sarens offers creative and intelligent solutions to today's heavy lifting and engineering transport challenges.
With more than 100 entities in 65 countries operating without borders, Sarens is an ideal partner for small to large-scale projects. Sarens currently employs 5,000 highly qualified professionals who are ready to serve the needs of any client worldwide and in all market sectors. https://www.sarens.com/
*Picked up from Chemical industry snapshot, The beating of the Belgian industry https://cefic.org/landscape-of-the-industry/belgium/
*2 Picked up from What EU country exported the most chemicals last year? https://europe-data.com/what-eu-country-exported-the-most-chemicals-last-year/