Fred. Olsen Windcarrier is upgrading one of its Gusto 9000 jack-up vessels with a new crane capable of installing foundations and all known next generation offshore wind turbines. Upon delivery in 2022, the unique 1,600-ton leg encircling crane will be the highest in the market.
“With this new crane, we are gearing up for the next generation of offshore wind turbines,” said Even Larsen, CEO of Fred. Olsen Ocean. “After installing more than 600 offshore turbines, we continue to set our sights higher and higher, knowing that our clients need a partner who can support them in establishing tomorrow’s offshore wind gigaparks.”
With its upgraded crane and improvements to stability, the vessel will be capable of installing foundations up to 1,500 tons and handling all known next generation turbines.
“This unique crane has been enhanced with an even more extreme boom and outreach capacity,” said says Managing Director Alexandra Koefoed, Fred. Olsen Windcarrier. “The crane 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. Furthermore, blades can be installed with the faster auxiliary hook and in higher wind speeds. All together, this is a considerable lifetime extension for the vessel, as the weight and dimensions of wind-turbine components continues to increase.”
Key performance of the new crane:
- Aux hook 400t @165m above deck (140m boom).
- 1250t@38.5m @155m above deck (140m boom).
- 1600t@32m (105m boom).
- Boom configuration can be changed in less than a week.
- The new 1600t LEC 65500 crane will be supplied by Huisman.
“The compact size of the new crane in combination with its low own weight and high lifting capacity make the crane unique and suitable for both the installation of foundations and next generation wind turbines,” said Jan Atle Andresen, regional director of Huisman Norge AS. “Over the last years, we have established a unique working relationship with Fred. Olsen Windcarrier, and this is a great example of two leading companies working together and combining their knowledge and experience in the field of cranes and installation.”
Key facts about the new crane include:
- A unique Huisman 1600t LEC 65500.
- The new crane will be top of market for reliability and redundancy with its proven and enhanced design.
- Additional speed packages provide a very high operational speed.
- The Lambda shaped boom is very stiff giving reduced motions at the crane tip.
- The crane is fully electrically driven, resulting in reduced maintenance and higher reliability.
- The crane is more environmentally friendly with less power consumption, no oil leakage, and a lower noise level.
- Catchers on all blocks/hooks minimize time spent on stowing.
- Small tail swing allows for optimized utilization of free deck space.
MORE INFO www.windcarrier.com
