A major operation for the last parts of the 700-ton fish farm, the first ever built in Turkey.

In a shipyard in the Altınova district of Yalova, the assembly work has begun for the first offshore fish farm in Turkey, built for Norway, with the operation of lifting 700-ton upper blocks involving large-capacity cranes.

Three 700-ton parts of the fish farm, which is under construction at a shipyard in Altınova, have been lifted and suspended through operations conducted with Turkey’s largest and highest-capacity cranes, and assembly work has started. The semi-closed fish production facility, produced for a Norwegian company within the scope of the Hydra Project, has a height of 52 meters, an outer diameter of 78 meters, and a capacity of 86,700 cubic meters. The fish farm, which has reached the final stages with the assembly of large parts, will be transported to Norway upon completion.

High-capacity cranes contribute to major projects

Hamza Aydın, the General Manager of the crane company that carried out the operation for the fish farm pool, provided information about the work done. He stated that they performed the lifting operations of three parts, each weighing 700 tons, known as the upper blocks of the fish farm pool, using cranes with capacities of 1600 and 800 tons. Aydın noted that the assembly was done by lifting two cranes simultaneously with a tandem lift system, saying, “These cranes are the largest and highest-capacity cranes that can operate in Turkey. These cranes are used in wind farms, highway constructions, airport constructions, and suspension bridge constructions. These cranes were not previously available in Turkey. With their arrival, shipyards and many companies serving the shipbuilding sector have begun to take on larger projects and contribute to bigger projects with the help of these cranes.”

The total weight of the fish farm reached 7,000 tons

Aydın stated that the last piece of the fish farm pool was lifted, saying:

“With the assembly of this last piece, the total weight of the pool has approached 7,000 tons, and we have completed the construction of the pool, the largest and only one in Turkey, with the 1600-ton and 800-ton crawler cranes. I would like to emphasize this especially. With the entry of such cranes into Turkey, larger-scale projects have begun to be undertaken. One of the best examples of this is the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant Project.”

Project Director Muharrem Koç of the crane company also expressed that they are capable of performing the operation with the 1600-ton crane, but they used double cranes at the request of the main company to lift the load more stably. Koç noted that the cranes with giant lifting capacities have the greatest benefits in terms of time and economy, stating, “It reduces labor and working costs. They finish the assemblies that will be above down below, prepare everything in one piece for us. Considering the complete operation time, it may have provided benefits close to 1 month.”

“A weight tested for the first time”

Koç emphasized that the fish farm project is the first of its kind built in Turkey, stating, “We are one of the first companies to carry out such heavy lifting. Lifting 700 tons, even with two cranes, is a big project, a significant weight. It is a weight tested for the first time.”

Koç mentioned that they have previously undertaken large operations, including a 500-ton boiler, the main part of the Manavgat Bridge weighing 550 tons, and work at the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant. He added that they would undertake a very large operation of 750 tons in the shipyards region.