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, the company said.
Upon delivery in 2022, the Huisman 1600t LEC 65500 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. 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,” said Even Larsen , CEO Fred. Olsen Ocean.
With its upgraded crane and improvements to stability, the vessel will be capable of installing foundations up to 1500t.
“This unique crane has been enhanced with an even more extreme boom and outreach capacity,” said Fred. Olsen Windcarrier’s Managing Director Alexandra Koefoed .
”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.”