Huisman will build a 1,600-tonne capacity crane that will be used for the installation of both wind turbine foundations and the turbines as well.
The leg encircling crane will be for a jack-up vessel upgrade. It will be able to lift foundations and handle “all know next-generation offshore wind turbines,” Huisman said.
The crane will have 1,600 tonnes lifting capacity at 32m radius with a 105m boom. With a longer 140m configuration, the crane will still able to lift 1,250 tonnes to 38.5 radius and a height of 155m above deck. It will also have a 400-tonne capacity auxiliary hook, lifting to 165m above deck with the 140m boom.
Other features include a short tail swing to maximize the use of deck space and an all-electric drive and control system for reliability and minimal maintenance. The Lambda boom design can be extended to increase its flexibility.
Comments from Huisman and Fred Olsen Windcarrier
“Fred Olsen Windcarrier is a highly experienced company in the wind installation industry. They have installed a large number of offshore turbines and with this new crane they are gearing up for the installation of the next generation wind turbines. We have worked closely together to tailor and adjust the crane to all requirements of tomorrow’s wind parks. The meetings with the engineering teams of Fred Olsen Windcarrier and Huisman can be characterised as positive, friendly and creative, resulting in the development of this unique 1,600 metric tonne leg encircling crane.”
Cees van Veluw, Huisman crane product manager
“This unique crane has been enhanced with key updates and an even more extreme boom. The enhanced outreach capacity of this crane upgrade allows us to stow the wind turbine components in a more flexible way despite the increased crane weight, thus maintaining or exceeding the payload we carry for our clients. The leg encircling crane also saves deck space. This is a considerable lifetime extension for the vessel, as the weight and dimensions of wind turbine components continues to increase.”
Alexandra Koefoed, Fred Olsen Windcarrier managing director
We can see the uptrend for the wind energy market with Shimizu constructing the world’s largest self-elevating platform vessel, as well as Huisman’s last year signing with Jan De Nul for 5,000 tonne tub mounted crane and Boskalis for 4,000 tonnes offshore mast crane.
