Vestas, along with Van Oord and Mammoet is part of a project consortium in Australia trialling a technology for improving turbine lifting operations.
The Australian government has provided financial and strategic support for the project, led by Verton Australia, which has developed a remote-controlled load-management system designed to control and rotate a load to its target destination.
The company has won the backing of the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) to develop the Windmaster project.
Verton’s ‘Everest’ system eliminates the need for human held taglines to control suspended loads, thereby improving safety and productivity for crane operations.
Verton managing director Trevor Bourne said: “Drawing on the expertise of all parties, we are collaborating on the development of a Verton load orientation solution under the project name Windmaster for the accurate orientation of wind turbine blades in the difficult windy conditions in which wind turbines are naturally located.
“Assembly at height is achieved with accurate remote positioning of the root end of blades into the hub in an efficient and controlled movement.”
“The systems envisioned to be developed will be compatible with a range of current Vestas wind turbines and installation methods, with provision for upgrades for larger systems and offshore installations.
“Provision will also be made for compatibility with a tower climbing crane currently under development by Mammoet to allow control by a single operator.”
Bourne said Verton has developed a unique technology offering that has the potential to make an impact across a variety of industries.
“This project presents an opportunity for Australia to develop a product with very strong export potential, leading to the generation of an industry, and new, skilled jobs in Australia,” he added.