The Borregaard factory in Sarpsborg is one of the world’s leading biorefineries. By utilizing natural, renewable raw materials, Borregaard produces advanced and environmentally friendly biochemicals that can replace oil-based products.

When a 160-meter-long chip channel used for wood chip transport needed to be replaced in October, Nordic Crane was the obvious partner for the job.

The chip channel is a crucial part of Borregaard’s infrastructure. Without it in operation, production would also come to a halt. Therefore, it was essential that the dismantling and installation of the new channel happened quickly when the replacement took place.

– It’s important that we are efficient on a project like this. The lifting operation had to be completed within one week, and with a channel that is 160 meters long, it’s clear that everything from planning to execution must be flawless, explains project manager Erik Johannessen from Nordic Crane.

– Since we couldn’t lift the entire channel in one piece, we had to set up five cranes parallel to the channel and lift it down in sections of 40–50 meters. Each section weighed approximately 40 tons.

Large Team on Site
As it wasn’t possible to assemble or weld directly on the channel, the Nordic Crane team had to come up with a functional solution. By building two lifting platforms measuring 10×4 meters, they were able to support the sections during dismantling by lifting from underneath the channel without requiring welding or bolting.

– The first phase of planning began back in January 2024. We deployed a team of 30 people and seven cranes. In addition, the specialized transport division assisted with the transportation of both the old and new channel, while the Heavy Lift division contributed with two SPMT units, Johannessen explains.

The dismantling began on October 14, and a new channel was in place by October 18.

Project information