Bold Tern will be Ready for Next Generation WTGs with New 1600t Crane

Offshore wind turbines are getting taller and heavier, which means bigger challenges for their installation and maintenance. With a new 1600t crane, jack-up vessel Bold Tern will soon be ready to lift the future ambitions of wind farm developers worldwide.

Across the world, wind farm developers and operators have relied upon FOWIC’s fleet of jack-up installation vessels and expert crews to install and maintain many of the offshore wind farms that are powering our lives today.

However, when these vessels were built in 2012 and 2013, they were designed to carry and lift the 3.6MW turbines in use at the time. Today, turbines have grown to be far larger and heavier, and plans for the installation of turbines up to 15MW are already in place. While this means greater efficiency for electricity generation, their size and weight present a serious challenge in terms of transportation, installation, and maintenance.

As a result, the decision was made to install a new 1600t LEC 65500 leg encircling crane on board Bold Tern – a development our customers have universally welcomed. The new crane will be the highest in the market upon arrival, making the vessel one of the few in the world capable of installing the latest generation wind turbines. FOWIC has worked closely with Huisman, the crane supplier, to ensure the crane has the right specifications and features to meet the industry’s needs for many years to come.

Right now, the construction of the new crane is well underway, with plans for it to be transported to Keppel FELS in Singapore by the end of the year, where it will then be fitted onto Bold Tern.

This shipyard was chosen for several reasons. Firstly, it’s location plays an important role as Bold Tern’s first project with the new crane will be in the region. Also, the crane is being manufactured in Asia, which will minimize logistics costs and delivery times. Importantly, however, the yard has the expertise and capabilities required to install such a large piece of hardware, which will involve lifting the crane onboard using two floating cranes working in tandem – it will be a rare sight to see!

Key facts about the new crane:

• 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 minimise time spent on stowing
• Small tail swing allows for optimised utilisation of free deck space

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

Source Fred. Olsen Windcarrier