Huisman delivers 600 tonne crane
27 February 2012
A new wind turbine erection vessel with 600 tonne capacity crane has been handed over by Husiman to IHC Offshore and Marine in the Netherlands.
IHC Offshore and Marine, part of IHC Merwede, subcontracted construction of the pedestal crane to specialist lifting, drilling and subsea engineering contractor Huisman in 2010. The wind turbine installation crane is mounted on the GeoSea DP2 jack-up vessel Neptune.
Features include a full electric variable frequency drive system, low overall construction weight and a small minimum operating radius, Huisman said. All major equipment, for example, the hoist winches, is installed inside the enclosed crane house. This is to afford protection from the harsh marine environment.
It is the second crane of this type designed and manufactured by Huisman. Construction, commissioning and testing was done at Huisman facilities in the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. Installation and load testing was at the Serdijn yard in Rotterdam harbor.
Neptune will transport and install offshore wind turbines and other heavy offshore structures. Her first assignment will be on the expansion of the Thornton Bank wind farm off the Belgian coast, where Neptune will install 48 wind turbines for the second and third stages of the C-Power project.
