GN Rope Fittings – a manufacturer of ROV, mooring, heavy lifting and rigging connections to the global oil and gas and offshore wind industries – has built a forged shackle with a working load limit of 3,750 tonnes.
According to GN Rope Fittings it is the world’s largest forged shackle, surpassing the company’s previous record set in 2023 when it manufactured a 3,000-tonne capacity unit.
Forged in the Netherlands, it has been designed for inline pulls and consists of a shackle body and saddle with a customised diameter of 1,050 mm. In addition, the shackle features a unique flat-shaped bow section at 790 mm in width, making it the first of its kind ever manufactured at this scale, it said.
This design provides sufficient space to accommodate synthetic ropes of approximately 265 mm, allowing them to lay flat on a straight section of the bow.
The one-of-a-kind shackle has been purchased by First Subsea for use with an internal lifting tool at the Fengmiao offshore wind project.
Bart Vossenberg Jr, executive director of GN Rope Fittings, said: “As global demand grows for larger and more capable equipment, GN Rope Fittings remains ready to deliver bespoke forged solutions that meet the most demanding project specifications.”
