Huisman to equip Cadeler F-class vessel with Leg Encircling Crane
The Dutch Machinery industry company Huisman has been awarded a contract by the China Ocean Shipping Offshore Company (COSCO), to design and build a Leg Encircling Crane (LEC). This LEC will be installed on the F-class jack-up vessel newly built by the Danish construction and engineering company, Cadeler.
This LEC will be used by Calder to install wind-turbines and their foundation, in next generation offshore wind projects around the world. The particular design of their F-class jack-up vessel allows for rapid conversion between wind turbine foundation and generator installation.
Huisman designed the LECs to meet the ever evolving requirements of the offshore renewables sector. Several design features have been specifically selected to reduce carbon emissions during the installation of turbines, and use.First an electrically driven system increases positioning accuracy and reliability, as well as reduced maintenance. Second, an optimised energy grid reduces the energy consumption. Also, the LEC chosen materials and design of the crane and its boom make the LEC lightweight yet robust.
Other features of the crane include a unique slew bearing system that provides more reliable and accurate positioning of the crane. Lastly, the construction of the boom leading to reduced motion at the crane tip, and use of free deck space is optimised by a small tail swing. Huisman will design the LECs’, and build them at their production facility in Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province, China.
This LEC contract award follows a 2021 contract for two identical 2,600mt LEC’s for X-class vessels, belonging to Cadeler. The same year, COSCO also won a $651 million contract to build two new X-class wind turbine installation vessels for Cadeler, which, when built, will be the largest in the industry. The first of these vessels are projected to be operational by the third quarter of 2024, and has already been commissioned by Siemens Gamesa, for its first project. The LEC’s will be commissioned in 2025 at COSCO’s shipyard, in Qidong, China, where the F-class vessel will be built.
