The Renewable Energy Revolution is Shaping the Crane of the Future

Author: Dashelle Bailey - Editor, Lifting Matters Group Manager, Strategy & Growth, Smithbridge Group/Universal Cranes

As the projects that cranes construct continue to evolve, so must the cranes themselves. These days, the rapidly growing renewable energy sector is creating demand for a new breed of crane. At the heart of that industry is wind power. With demand for cheap, clean energy only set to rise, modern cranes are developing to meet the demand and become safer, more portable, and more adaptable than ever before.

WIND POWER IS BOOMING ACROSS AUSTRALIA

Around the world, countries are waking up to the dangers of global warming and are putting the wheels in motion to prevent it. Australia has committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050, in line with our Paris Climate Agreement obligations, and more recently, the new Federal Labour government has increased our 2030 goal to reduce emissions by 43% from their peak in 2005.

In support of that goal, an additional focus has been placed on reducing our reliance on fossil fuels in favour of renewable energy. Australia’s abundance of renewable energy sources, namely sun and wind, means we are perfectly positioned to become a global leader in the production of clean energy. Wind, in particular, is seeing tremendous growth, becoming the country’s cheapest and most popular source of clean energy, accounting for 35.9% of Australia’s renewable energy and 9.9% of our total energy used in 2020.

And all that growth is seeing huge demand for new wind generation projects. In 2020 alone, 10 new wind projects were signed off around the country. Currently, there are 21 additional projects in construction or soon to begin construction.

Not only are more and more wind generation farms popping up around the country, but the turbines themselves are growing in size to capture the stronger winds that exist at greater heights. The average hub height (the distance from the ground to the middle of the rotor) has increased 66% since the 1990s to an average elevation of 100m. And this is only the beginning, with wind turbines set to get larger still as demand for cheap renewable energy continues to increase.

Universal Cranes working with Vestas, changing out a blade at Clarke Creek wind farm.

WIND TURBINES ARE USHERING IN A NEW BREED OF CRANES

Crane technologies have always been shaped by the projects that require their use, with innovation and design advancement directly linked to increasingly complex project visions. Like the buildings and skyscrapers before them, the sheer scale of wind generation projects has meant cranes must adapt to enable their construction.

The first hurdle to conquer? Size.

Dutch company Mammoet has been one of the first to respond to this growing need, developing cranes specifically designed for wind farms. The Wind Turbine Assembly Crane (WTA 250), for example, does away with traditional supports and is instead installed on a guardrail attached to the turbine itself. This guardrail can be moved up and down the turbine’s tower to facilitate new construction, meaning there is virtually no upper limit to the crane’s lifting height. Unlike a building that typically only requires the use of a crane once during construction, the constant momentum of wind turbines means they require maintenance at least once a year and sometimes more as the turbine ages. The Wind Turbine Maintenance Crane (WTM 100), also from Mammoet, is built to serve this purpose. With a reduced lifting capacity, the crane is designed to carry out maintenance, rather than construction, using a combination of hoisting eyes and claws that wrap around the tower to pull itself—and its cargo—up to the top of the turbine.

Another notable benefit of the modern crane developed for wind projects is portability. Because these cranes can clamp onto turbines for support, they are lighter and need far fewer components than traditional cranes. While a traditional crane may need 50 individual truckloads to move, a model like the WTA 250 needs as little as 9.

While a traditional crane may need 50 individual truckloads to move, a model like the WTA 250 needs as little as 9.

In some ways, the future of this industry is already here, with new models of purpose-built cranes making the construction of turbines of any size possible.

INTO THE FUTURE

With demand for cheap, renewable energy tipped to increase even further, construction of wind farms is on the rise both across Australia and globally. In some ways, the future of this industry is already here, with new models of purposebuilt cranes making the construction of turbines of any size possible.

As new wind generation projects are fast-tracked in more remote and treacherous areas, like the proposed Star of the South wind farm off the coast of Victoria, cranes will continue to innovate with safety and efficiency in mind.

With the global crane market hitting $19.3 billion in 2021 and predicted to grow 4.8% in the decade to 2031, one thing is for sure—the next decade will see tremendous transformation in the crane industry.

Image sourced from Mammoet, the WTA system is now design-ready and can be ready to enter the market during Q2 2023.