DEME and Liftra partner to advance offshore WTG installation

DEME developing new tech for offshore wind turbine installation

Photo: DEME Group

Offshore wind industry has come along in leaps and bounds and installation methodology is no exception. To that cause, DEME Offshore and Liftra have joined forces to develop a novel offshore installation methodology for the next generation of offshore wind turbine generators. The Liftra crane technology will be fully integrated on board DEME’s vessels on an exclusive basis.

Aalborg-based Liftra is providing the design and engineering, based on its patented LT1500 Turbine Installation Crane technology, and this is combined with DEME’s engineering, operations and installation technology.

Lowering costs with existing vessels

The Offshore Turbine Installation Crane offers the possibility of erecting higher and heavier turbines using existing vessels at a lower cost, while at the same time reducing the environmental footprint, and is suitable for both bottom-fixed and floating turbines.

Bart de Poorter, general manager DEME Offshore Renewables, said, “There are many advantages of this new joint technology, the major one being the ability to install fixed or floating turbines from a floating vessel, which naturally means there are no limitations regarding water depth. As well as this, there are no longer any lifting height issues and relative motions at high heights can be controlled. This new method also reduces the environmental footprint on the seabed at the wind farm’s location and in port.”

Per Fenger, CEO of Liftra, emphasises, ‘’This offshore partnership with DEME Offshore underlines that Liftra’s lifting and transport technology is state of the art, also in the offshore wind sector. Liftra is proud to contribute with our innovative LT1500 installation crane technology which is based on 10 years of Self-Hoisting crane product experience, and the special configuration with two cranes working in parallel, is also proven and goes back many years.’’

Due to its flexibility, the system can be exclusively integrated for use on board DEME’s floating offshore heavy-lift vessels such as Orion or Green Jade, as well as its existing jack-up vessels.

The partners will develop and integrate the technology in stages and following an extensive testing programme, the pioneering new system is expected to be operational in 2027.

Author: Adnan Bajic

Add your comment

characters remaining.

Log in through one of the following social media partners to comment.