new heights Hello, and welcome... IN THIS ISSUE

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1 THE ALE NEWSLETTER ISSUE 02 Hello, and welcome to the second edition of our biannual newsletter, New Heights. The purpose of the newsletter is to keep you abreast of the latest developments and news from ALE regions across the world. Whether you are a customer or a member of staff, I hope you find it an interesting read. The past months have been busy ones for ALE s Projects division as we plan and execute complex multidisciplinary assignments around the world. We have 22 operating businesses and 4 representative offices located in all of the major oil, gas and industrial regions around the world the local knowledge, infrastructure and representation this provides is invaluable. We are especially proud of our recent work on the Galp Energia refinery conversion in Sines, Portugal, which saw ALE lift a 1,457.1te reactor in what was confirmed as the heaviest lift with a Terex Demag CC crane. We are also delighted to have won multiple awards for our AL.SK cranes, and are now busy with the construction of a second AL.SK190, our 4,300te-capacity crane, which outlifts our nearest competitors by 160%. The new addition will also be joined by a number of other large cranes that are being added to our fleet. However, the crucial part of our investment is in people. We are dedicated to training project managers and field supervisors to the highest standard and progressing them through the business, and this has led to our strong HSQE record of which we are very proud. The news and case studies that follow give a flavour of what we ve been up to across ALE within the last 6 months thank you for taking the time to read our update. Michael Birch, Executive Director ALE Projects IN THIS ISSUE News in Brief Branch Focus Case Studies Personnel Focus

2 news in brief Company News ALE climbs to second place in International Cranes & Specialized Transport global transport index Elevated from fourth place in the 2009 IC Transport 50 index, ALE s movement up the rankings reflects its substantial investment in equipment and personnel over the past 12 months. ALE s 88,659 trailers comprising 84,009te of modular trailer capacity, 4,650te in specialised transport capacity and 52 tractor units reflect its expanded fleet, and its workforce has increased by over 20% since The IC Transport 50 index ranks companies by total carrying capacity for specialist transport equipment. ALE supports city of Santiago with earthquake relief effort In the 6 month period following the devastating Chile earthquake in February 2010, ALE has assisted with repairing vital bridge connections in the capital of Santiago. Providing equipment, project management and engineering support, ALE skidded and jacked elements for 3 different bridges to bring them back into working order. Loads weighed an average of 1,300te and equipment included self-propelled hydraulic skidshoe systems and hydraulic lifting units, as well as power packs and jacking units. Each skidding manoeuvre was completed in approximately 5 hours and each jacking operation was completed in approximately 2 hours. ALE expands global reach in Africa, South America and Canada ALE has announced the opening of 3 new offices to augment our on-theground capabilities in North Africa, South America and Canada. The first office is in Casablanca, Morocco; the second is in Quebec, Canada; and the third is in Bogota, Columbia, with an additional operational base in Barranquilla. The new offices allow us to provide a more complete service to clients operating in these 3 key geographical areas. AL.SK350 named world s largest single crane in International Cranes & Specialized Transport magazine global index The AL.SK350, part of ALE s flagship fleet for ultra heavy loads, was ranked the single largest crane by International Cranes & Specialized Transport magazine s 2010 IC50 index of the world s largest crane-owning companies. ALE was also named as having the 4th largest crane fleet in the world based on total maximum load moment rating, climbing 14 places in the ranking from With a capacity of 5,000te and a load moment of 354,000tm, the AL.SK350 will have more than double the load moment of its closest rival. We are delighted it is confirmed as the world s largest land-based crane, said Michael Birch, Executive Director ALE Projects. Our ranking in the overall crane fleet capacity index reflects the substantial investment and innovation we have made over the past year, and reflects our stature as a leader in the global heavy lift industry. ALE s AL.SK190 wins innovation award ALE was declared the winner of the Innovation and Development Award for End Users at the 2010 ESTA Awards of Excellence, which took place at the Bauma exhibition in Munich in April. The company was recognised for its ground-breaking AL.SK190 heavy lifting machine, which was developed by ALE s design team based in Breda, the Netherlands. The AL.SK heavy lifting machines set the industry standard in innovation for ultra heavy lifting, commented Cees Segeren, Director of Product Development at ALE. It is an honour to be recognised by the ESTA Awards for our efforts in developing the world s highest-capacity land-based crane. The awards, which recognise leaders in the heavy lifting and transport industry, were organised by the European Association of Heavy Haulage, Transport & Mobile Cranes a pan-european association representing mobile crane rental, heavy haulage and abnormal load transport companies together with International Cranes & Specialized Transport magazine. ALE Offshore Services wins ballast contract for topsides installation ALE Offshore Services has secured a contract for the floatover installation of the 8,200te Gajah Baru CCP topside in the Natuna Sea. The company will provide the external barge ballast system together with the associated engineering, supply and operation services for the installation, which is scheduled for May ALE s external rapid ballasting system has a designed capacity in excess of 24,000 m 3 /hour, and will ensure safe transfer of the topside on to the preinstalled jacket structure by lowering the HYSY semi-submersible vessel at a rate of 1 m/20 minutes. This project marks ALE Offshore Service s fourth collaboration with Saipem, the Italian offshore and installation specialist. The two companies previously worked on the installation of 2 topsides in excess of 28,000te off Sakhalin Island and, most recently, the installation of the North Belut topside on to a S45 barge. Equipment News ALE announces construction of a second AL.SK190 to meet global demand The record-breaking, 4,300te-capacity crane has a load moment of tm, a 141m main boom and a 32.1m ballast radius, and also features a 600te quick winch system for lifting smaller items quickly. It will be completed in the second half of The introduction of the AL.SK190 has given the industry lifting capacities far in excess of anything thought possible, said Michael Birch, Executive Director ALE Projects. Even now, 2 years after it was first launched, no other machine out there has even come close. It s clear from the level of global demand we ve had that our clients have already recognised the huge advantages this massive capacity can bring to their projects, which is why we ve invested in building a second crane. ALE announces investment in new class 300 barge The new-build ALE 300 will complement ALE s existing class 250 barge, the ALE 250, working in the Middle East. The ALE 300 will have an above-standard deck loading capacity of 20te per square metre, which will maximise load capacity and minimise load spreading requirements, generally improving efficiency in barge loading operations. The ALE 300 is scheduled to be delivered to ALE in Singapore in December 2010 for onward delivery to the Middle East.

3 news in brief Project News ALE performs load-outs for Walney offshore windfarm project In preparation for load-out and transport to the UK, ALE weighed the 1,090te substation and was then responsible for ballasting operations for the cargo barge waiting to transport the structures. The 992te jacket and the substation were loaded-out separately onto the barge, each using 48 axle lines of SPMT. ALE performs transport and installations at Soporcel Plant in Portugal The condenser, steam turbine and steam generator weighed 62te, 176te and 118te, respectively. Each was approximately 10 metres long, 4 metres wide and 4 metres high. All were transported 600 metres from the storage area to the turbine building using SPMTs and then lifted to a vertical position under a skidding gantry. HLS700 strand jack lifting units with a 70te capacity were used to lift the modules between 3 and 25 metres. The modules were then skidded to their final installation axis using the gantry, and were lowered and fitted onto foundation supports. ALE carries out heavy transportation for Worsley Efficiency and Growth Expansion Project in Perth ALE transported a variety of structures including a 1,110te course seed module a distance of 1 kilometre from the fabrication area to the construction site. Due to Australia s strict quarantine laws, all trailer equipment was new, brought in from ALE sites in the Middle East and Malaysia. To transport the modules ALE used 52 axles of SPMT, with two power packs, hy-jack frames and cruciforms. ALE performs transport and installation for West Burton power station The 18 items, which comprised steam and gas turbines, generators and transformers, were received at the Port of Hull and barged down the River Trent to a jetty at Cottam Power Station. They were then transshipped to a girder frame trailer for the final 6 mile road journey to the station, a route which included narrow country lanes passing through small villages. Once at the site, each piece was transshipped back to SPMT, transported through site and installed. ALE loads-out 385te Livorno T20 module in Jebel Ali Prior to mobilising the equipment to the site, method statements and engineering calculations were prepared and submitted to meet requirements from both the client and the independent Marine Warranty Surveyors. The Livorno T20 module was transported from the assembly yard to the quayside using 24 axles of SPMT and then loaded-out onto a class 330 barge, where it was lowered onto pre-positioned stillages. ALE was also responsible for barge management operations during load-out, including mooring and ballasting. ALE completes year s biggest UK load-out ALE successfully completed the site move and loadout of a 7,500te production deck and a 500te bridge from Hartlepool, UK, as part of the Buzzard Field development. The module was moved 1 kilometre to the load-out quay from the construction site using 320 lines of SPMT. To allow for different locations of build stool and seafastening grillage, the transporters had to be repositioned at the quayside prior to load-out. ALE was also responsible for ballasting and mooring during the load-out operations.

4 news in brief Project News ALE performs engineering and ballasting for Kinabalu KNPG-B project load-out A collaboration between ALE Malaysia and ALE Offshore Services, the scope of work included detailed engineering, control and supervision of the ballast system for the load-out of the 5,500te KNPG-B jacket. In addition, ALE provided engineering and oversight for a complex strand jack pulling system, including for the strand jack brackets and the deadman anchor design. ALE performs ballasting and load-out for TPDP-A topside project in Vietnam The 1,488te Topaz-A topside was moved from the PTSC fabrication yard to the quayside using SPMTs and then loaded-out onto the barge, which was moored against the jetty. ALE provides transport, load-out and ballasting services for FPSO Block 12W Chimsao Field Development Project ALE launches 400te German bridge ALE installed the 70 metre long Spellener road bridge using two 70te strand jacks, 16 axles of SPMT, 6 skidding plates, a barge and climbing jacks. On the first day the bridge was skidded 28 metres using strand jacks, SPMTs and 2 skidding plates. The barge was positioned underneath the bridge once it was cantilevering over the water, and another 4 skidding plates were installed. The bridge was then skidded an additional 21 metres whilst fixed to the barge so the barge could be launched with the bridge. By early afternoon the bridge was above its final position, and climbing jacks assumed the load. An hour later the barge was removed and the canal was re-opened. After the skidding plates were removed the bridge was jacked down to its final position. ALE transported and loaded-out two 400te gravity bases and two 200te mid-water arches using 20 axles of SPT with 2 power packs, hy-jack frames and 400te/hour deck ballast pumps. The load-out of all 4 structures was completed in just 3 days. ALE relocates 2 container cranes at Cape Town Port The container cranes, each weighing 998te, were transported using 40 axle lines of SPMT. ALE also completed all of the engineering work and modified the beams for the project. ALE skids protected building in Mexico City ALE transports and installs transformers for London Array Windfarm ALE received four 130te transformers at Chatham Docks and transported them to the Cleve Hill site approximately 30 miles away, a route which included a tight railway bridge. In order to complete the project ALE coordinated with a variety of key stakeholders, including residents, the local authorities and the railway network operator. The 2,500te building was skidded 17 metres to make room for the construction of a parking lot at the site. Prior to skidding, ALE first weighed the building using the cylinders of 1,000te skid shoes. The house was then jacked up 500mm to remove the temporary supports and to bring the structure to skidding level. ALE then used a SKS1000 self-propelled hydraulic skidding system composed of modular skid tracks and 6 skid shoes with a total length of 46 metres per line. Each skid shoe incorporated two 500te-capacity vertical hydraulic cylinders with a stroke of 300mm. Once the building reached its new position, temporary supports were placed underneath it while leaving 100% of the load supported by the skidding equipment. Upon completion of the parking lot, the building was skidded back to its original position.

5 branch focus In each issue, New Heights takes an in-depth look at a different ALE branch, its service offering and its recent projects. In this edition, we look at ALE s Projects division. ALE Projects With the single largest land-based crane and a track record of proficientlymanaged, ambitious multidisciplinary projects, ALE is a well-established player in the industry, with wide experience and expertise across sectors and with a full range of innovative equipment. The Projects division is headquartered in the UK, with the award-winning design team based in Breda, the Netherlands. Projects personnel are located in ALE offices around the world. Case study: Dung Quat Refinery, Vietnam Background: ALE transported heavy columns weighing between 200te and 680te for Vietnam s first oil refinery. Services required: As part of the refinery construction project in Quang Ngai Province, ALE transported 23 heavy columns weighing between 200te and 680te, with a length of up to 85 metres. The columns were received at the port and transported 14 kilometres over difficult operating conditions using SPMTs. Case study: Greater Gabbard Project, UK Background: ALE upended and loaded-out 35 jackets as part of the Greater Gabbard Windfarm project off the coast of Suffolk. Services required: The jackets ranged from 450te to 823te and were loaded-out onto barges for erection at the wind farm field. Upending of the heaviest jacket, 823te, was executed with the Terex Demag CC and tailed up using TC and CC cranes. This is the second time ALE has utilised the CC8800-1, this recent addition to its fleet. Once vertical the CC crane transported the jacket 35 metres across the fabrication yard with the full superlift attached. It was then positioned on the barge for onward transport. Sectors: Oil & gas, petrochemical, minerals and mining, nuclear, power generation, shipping and ports Services: All heavy lifting and transportation on and off site, ballasting, engineering, project planning and site management Equipment on site: Full range of ALE s international fleet, including the flagship 4,300te-capacity AL.SK190 heavy lifting machine and the 1,600te-capacity Terex Demag CC8800-1, conventional and selfpropelled transporters, gantries and jacking systems Case study: Escravos Gas-to-Liquid Project, Nigeria Background: In the summer of 2010 ALE completed extensive, long term work for the Escravos project. Services required: Over the course of the project, ALE was responsible for the off-loading, transport and installation of all items over 100te. An array of equipment was transported from the delivery point off an ocean-going vessel to the installation location at the Escravos site. Among the items were two 2,200te reactors. ALE designed a special 3,400te capacity gantry that could be skidded from one position to another to avoid dismantling it for relocation. This allowed the reactors to be installed according to the original 3 week time frame. Other equipment included a 4,000te tailing frame for reactor tailing, cranes up to 1,500te capacity and 100 axles of SPMT. Case study: OLEFINS PLANT, SAUDI ARABIA Background: The first lift using the AL.SK190 heavy lifting machine, ALE lifted and installed various columns at a petrochemical plant in Jubail. Services required: ALE performed more than 100 lifts over a 5 month period. The AL.SK190 was used to lift a 69-metre long depropaniser column at 84 metres outreach, as well as to lift a C3 splitter. Because the AL.SK190 can operate at a wide radius, the crane was rigged and stood off-plot to permit engineers to complete foundations and piperacks in advance of the column installation. NEWSFLASH: ALE sets record with inaugural lift of its Terex Demag CC crane ALE transported and installed two 1,457te reactors as part of a conversion project at a Galp Energia refinery. The reactors were transported from Italy to Portugal using a 1,800te self-geared vessel and then loaded on to 68 axle lines of SPMT using two 900te-capacity cranes. ALE was not able to use the public highway to reach the refinery because of height restrictions, so the reactor had to be transported off-road via a quarry with 10% inclines. Once at the refinery, the reactors were erected using the Terex Demag CC with a customised crane hook in what was essentially the heaviest lift possible using the CC or any single boom crawler crane. Tailing was completed using a gantry especially designed by ALE. The project was completed using combined services from ALE Projects and ALE Spain. Case study: Ambatovy Project, Madagascar Background: Over a period of 24 months ALE delivered various items of heavy and over-dimensional equipment for this mining venture. Services required: Items included five 42m long x 5.5m diameter autoclaves each weighing 780te, as well as two 15m diameter x 26m high converters each weighing 325te. The items were delivered by others to the Port of Tamatave and loaded onto SPMTs using geared vessel cranes. Once secured, the items were transported 12 kilometres from the port, through the city to the site.

6 case studies personnel focus New Heights highlights recent ALE projects from branches from around the world. Case study: Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela Background: ALE s comprehensive weighing system was put to the test for the complex jacking and weighing of a 7,100te topside platform at the VIHCOA fabrication yard. Services required: Over the course of 3 days, the 7,100te platform was lifted and weighed 3 times using 54,500te-capacity Weightor hydraulic jacks and load cells. All loads were monitored in real time, providing instant weight recordings and calculating the centre of gravity location to ensure the structure was jacked to a consistent synchronised measurement at every lift point. John Fitzmaurice, Global HSQE Manager, is based at ALE s global headquarters in Hixon, UK. For this issue of New Heights he discusses how he is keeping ALE at the forefront of health, safety, quality and environment in the heavy lift industry. Case study: Abu Dhabi, UAE Background: ALE received and transported 4 Heat Exchanger (Hex) boxes 150 kilometres from the port in Mussafah for the Elixier II air separation unit plant. Services required: Over an 18 month period ALE undertook detailed surveys of potential transport routes for the 260te, 13 metre wide x 14 metre high Hex boxes. The road route from the port to the project site involved total closure of the main highway connecting the UAE to other countries in the region. It also required a power shutdown, as the height of the larger boxes exceeded safe clearance for overhead high voltage power transmission lines crossing the route. The Hex boxes were received in Mussafah and then transported from the port using SPMTs. Conventional trailers were then used along the road to the new-build site. Case study: Geoje-Si, South Korea Background: ALE performed the skidded load-out of a 19,400te topside platform in the heaviest ever load-out using a hydraulic skid system. Services required: The first job for ALE s pioneering new self-propelled hydraulic skidding system (SPHS), the Gazflot topside was loaded-out from building position using te-capacity and te-capacity capacity skid shoes, all integrated with hydraulic jacks to control load. Once all 48 skid shoes were in place they were hydraulically connected to provide a 3-point hydraulic supporting system to lift the topside from its supports. The project required innovative engineering to accommodate the need for different loads at various support points. Once the topside was in position on the quayside, it was set down on the heavy cargo vessel s grillages using hydraulic cylinders. Case study: Teluk Ramunia, Malaysia Background: ALE completed the weighing and load-out of various modules for the F23R-A and CPDR-A offshore projects. Services required: Modules included a 1,715te and 1,882te deck, which were weighed using an 8 point and 10 point weighing operation, respectively. After weighing, the decks were loadedout using more than 120 axle lines of SPMT to roll the decks onto the transportation barges for offshore installation. The heaviest structure a 5,800te jacket was loaded-out using a skidding system with four 441te-capacity strand jacks and a centrally-controlled 32 ballast/de-ballast pump arrangement. ALE also conducted all of the engineering work for the project and supplied 24 axles of SPT trailers to assist in the jacket and module construction phase. Case study: Ras Laffan Port, Qatar Background: ALE successfully completed the land transportation, load-out, marine transportation and load-in of the 350te sulphur ship loader B as part of the Common Sulphur Project. Services required: The ship loader was fabricated at Nass Marine Facility in Bahrain, where ALE lifted and transported it to the quayside using 30 axles of SPMT in a 6-file configuration. During load-out, the barge deck and quayside were kept level using ballast water pumps in line with tidal predictions and engineering calculations. Once loaded-out on to the ALE 250 class barge, the ship loader was seafastened using steel cleats and wire rope. Upon load-out at Ras Laffan, the ship loader was positioned at the pre-determined lifting position at the sulphur facility and then offloaded on to integral supports next to ALE s lifting gantry. ALE then installed the ship loader using strand jack lifting and skidding. In a company like ALE, that really prioritises HSQE, we have a lot of internal knowledge and experience that allows us to share best practices and lead by example Q: How long have you been involved with HSQE? A: I got involved with HSQE about 14 years ago I really like how HSQE combines the on site and management sides of a project. The role requires you to think from both sides both as an on-the-ground employee and as a manager, which is both interesting and challenging. Contrary to what lots of people believe, it is about much more than just filling in forms there is a reason behind everything that we do. Q: What does your role involve? A: Broadly speaking, my role is to monitor, manage, measure and implement the policies and procedures of the IMS (Integrated Management System) globally. More specifically, I analyse training needs; carry out audits and site inspections; complete the necessary sections for pre-quals and tenders; and liaise with regional HSQE advisors and feedback key information to senior management. On a day-to-day basis I have to be a diplomat, a salesman, a policeman and a judge. Q: How is the HSQE team at ALE structured? A: There are 5 full-time regional HSQE advisors in the group, and it is my role to guide and direct them, providing strategic direction to ALE globally. The regional advisors are responsible for educating their teams on what needs to be done and on what the requirements are. It is a very collaborative process across the entire company, which ensures that we have a consistently high standard on every ALE site and for all ALE projects. This is incredibly important because we and our clients have accreditations and standards to maintain. Q: What is in the pipeline for ALE as far as HSQE goes? A: Training has always been crucial for HSQE, and we are currently placing very high importance on developing and implementing a structured training scheme. The scheme is part of our ongoing goal of continuously improving our services. It will be for operators and supervisors and also up to management level. We re developing it at Head Office in Hixon and are then deploying it to our sites around the world, so that it becomes a part of ALE company culture running from the Executive Directors to the site staff. This training scheme is just one of the ways that we are evolving our approach to HSQE. We have a great track record our accident and incident rate has improved year on year, and we are aiming to be at the forefront of innovation in HSQE within the heavy lift industry. The IMS is certified to meet the requirements of ISO 9001:2008 for Quality Management, ISO 14001:2004 for Environmental Management, and we are currently developing our IMS to meet OHSAS 18001:2007 with a view of gaining certification. We also have safety targets that are set and reviewed annually to constantly push and develop the company. In a company like ALE, that really prioritises HSQE, we have a lot of internal knowledge and experience that allows us to share best practices and lead by example.

7 Issue 02 ALE GLOBAL CONTACTS: Europe United Kingdom Staffordshire, Head Office +44 (0) United Kingdom Middlesbrough +44 (0) The Netherlands +31 (0) Spain Germany +49 (0) Italy +44 (0) Russia Norway +44 (0) North America USA +1 (0) Mexico City Mexico Veracruz South America Brazil +55 (11) Argentina +54 (11) Venezuela Colombia Panama Peru Africa North Africa +44 (0) South Africa +27 (0) Middle East United Arab Emirates +971 (0) Qatar Kingdom of Saudi Arabia +966 (0) Asia Pacific Indonesia Malaysia Thailand Taiwan +44 (0) Korea +82 (0) Vietnam Australia