Dutch lifting specialist Huisman has developed a lightweight type crane for the maintenance of offshore wind turbines, known as the foldable offshore crane.
The company said the new unit is lighter than conventional hardware because of a foldable boom, which also requires less deck space.
Therefore, smaller jack-up vessels will be able to deploy the crane than are currently required, Huisman added.
The crane is capable of moving wind turbine components to up to 160 metres above deck level from jack-ups with a length of about 70 metres.
“By slightly tilting the knuckle, extra boom clearance is created. This simplifies lifting of large loads and reduces the required boom length to reach above the middle of a nacelle,” the company said.
Image: Morgue File
