Bengal Electric Ltd (BEL), a local engineering industry, manufactured heavy bargemounted crane at its own factory, an achievement that will pave the way to end manual lifting of heavy machinery.

Having a capacity to lift around 300 tonnes of machinery or tools at a time, the crane will also be useftil to lifting sunken vessels in a short time.

Bengal Electric applied cent percent indigenous technology and engineering expertise in developing the high-tech crane.

“The crane can be used in lifting bridge girder, transformers, turbine and generators for power plants, and heavy equipment for fertiliser factories," Abdus Salam, the company chairman said, adding that the introduction of the heavy crane will help reduce the time of constructing bridges.

He pointed to the fact that currently the bridge builders manually lift girders, which is time-consuming and around three to five years are needed to complete a bridge.

“If any company introduces such kind of

heavy crane it will help save time and the completion of construction work will be possible in a span of two to three years,” Salam went on.

Bengal Electric's newly introduced bargemounted crane unloaded Monday a 214 MT electric generator to a power project at Shiddhirganj.

The company earlier worked in Chittagong, Mongia and Munshiganj areas for salvaging sunken ships.

The chairman of the company said they wanted to establish supremacy' in the sector and hoped that through their efficiency and expertise the company will get priority in the business.

He also sought government support saying: “ As we are saving huge amount of foreign currency we seek government patronisation so that we can develop crane for overseas market.”

As a support industry for shipbuilding, the company is trying to explore international market for its product.

jasim@thedailystar.net