Lifting the ofshore wind industry to new levels

With its new fxed boom crane range (PF Crane), international technology company Palfnger, headquartered in Salzburg (Austria), is responding to the latest safety requirements of the global ofshore wind industry.

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF PALFINGER.

The new fxed boom crane range responds to the latest safety requirements of the global offshore wind industry.

With state-of-the art lifting solutions, the company is all set to lift crane operations to the next safety and efciency level. As one of the world’s leading producers and providers of innovative crane and lifting solutions, Palfnger has been demonstrating pioneering spirit for 90 years. With around 12,000 employees, more than 30 manufacturing sites, and a worldwide sales and service network, the company guarantees optimal customer proximity. Three decades ago, the company founded Palfnger Marine. Ever since, Palfnger Marine has developed a comprehensive portfolio of lifting solutions for the maritime and ofshore industry.

Enhanced crane range

To improve safety and efciency of customers’ lifting operations during preventive or corrective maintenance of wind farms, Palfnger has recently launched a range of fxed boom cranes with modular design and standardised outreach from 3 to 7m. The range was designed in accordance with the latest technical requirements of the European standard EN13852-3 for light ofshore cranes. The crane plays a major role in lifting materials and equipment in the daily ofshore wind business and closes the supply chain from the crew transfer vessel (CTV) to the ofshore wind platform. Beyond its modular and compact design, every crane undergoes thorough function and load tests at the assembly plant before being delivered. This procedure ensures ‘ready to work delivery’ to the highest safety standard and minimised installation time. Above all, the simple and reliable solution comes with low maintenance requirements. “Because access to ofshore wind farms is limited and every working hour must be efciently used, we’ve made the new PF cranes highly resistant to the harsh environmental conditions. Furthermore, we reduced the maintenance efort to streamline and lower the life-cycle-costs for the wind park operators and owners”, says Franz Schnöll, Head of Global Marine Product Management. >>

Palfnger Marine has provided the offshore wind business with lifting solutions all around the globe. This jetty crane is installed in Vlissingen at the maintenance base for the Borssele 1 and 2 offshore wind farm.

Ofshore Wind

Ten years after Palfnger developed its frst marine crane, the company became frmly established within the ofshore and wind industry. Following delivery of the frst cranes to leading European companies in the feld of renewable energy in 2004, Palfnger Marine has continued to successfully serve the global wind market with its well-proven cranes. Today, it has provided the ofshore wind business with lifting solutions all around the globe, from the USA to Asia, Great Britain, and many other ofshore wind farms in Europe. One of the largest ofshore wind projects that Palfnger Marine is involved in is Seagreen, Scotland’s largest ofshore wind farm to-be. Situated over 27km from Scotland’s Angus coastline at its closest point, Seagreen will comprise 114 wind turbines and will be capable of powering up to 1.3 million homes each year with low-carbon, renewable energy. Palfnger will supply a total of 114 PF20000-7 LDB fxed boom cranes, one for each turbine.

Vietnam

Recently, Palfnger Marine entered a new fast-emerging hot spot for the global wind industry. In Vietnam, the company serves the frst two intertidal wind farms Hiep Thanh and Binh Dai with 26 of its feld-proven fxed boom cranes. “At Palfnger, we recognised at an early stage how important it is to expand ofshore wind capacities, both in Europe and worldwide. We are therefore constantly striving to enter new emerging markets to support the goal of climate neutrality”, states Gunther Fleck, Vice President Sales & Service Region Marine at Palfnger.

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Palfnger cranes at Alpha Ventus, the frst German offshore wind farm. Following delivery of these frst cranes in the feld of renewable energy in 2004, Palfnger Marine has continued to successfully serve the global wind market with its well-proven cranes.