LiftWerx has launched an up-tower crane for carrying out wind turbine operations and maintenance (O&M), which is powered by wind energy.
The company developed the GenHook kit in cooperation with Kenz Figee and Eager One, which designed to perform corrective repairs in wind turbine nacelles.
LiftWerx successfully executed its first gearbox replacement with its first GenHook crane on a GE 1.6-100 wind turbine in Michigan, US.
GenHook is equipped with fully electric winches which can lift and exchange gearboxes, blades, and generators with extreme accuracy, while working in wind speeds up to 18 metres per second.
Liftwerx president Glen Aitken said: “It is our strategy for our new GenHook cranes to reduce downtime, costs, and disruption compared to using traditional cranes.
“And the best part is that these zero-emission cranes are completely green. They are powered by the wind turbine itself, and unlike traditional cranes, they do not generate any carbon dioxide emissions.”
Kenz Figee chief executive Jan-Pieter Klaver said: “The delivery of the first GenHook up-tower cranes to LiftWerx, which are rated at a lifting capacity of 27 tonnes, has marked a new era for Kenz Figee to enter the rapidly-growing renewable energy market.”