PRESS RELEASE – Huisman has signed a Letter of Intent with Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore for the delivery of a 2,600-tonne Leg Encircling Crane for OIM Wind’s BT-220IU Wind Installation Unit. The agreement includes the option for the delivery of a similar crane for a second installation unit.

In order to be deployed for offshore wind installation, the crane setup of the BT-220IU unit has been optimised. With its 140-metre long boom and 2,600-tonne lifting capacity, the new crane enables OIM Wind to install the next and future generations of wind turbines and foundations safely and efficiently. In its highest position, the crane is able to lift 2,600 tonnes up to 165 metres above the main deck.

For this project, Huisman will implement the same robust and proven technology on drive systems and slewing bearings as used for the leg encircling cranes the company has delivered to the offshore wind market over the past years, for example to the installation vessels Seajacks Scylla and Van Oord’s Aeolus.

China

The BT-220IU Wind Installation Unit has been designed by CIMC’s Yantai office and its subsidiary Bass Tech AB in Sweden and is based on technical input and market knowledge from OIM Wind. The crane for the first unit will be built at the Huisman production facility in Xiamen. Huisman will deploy its Skyhook Crane for the installation of the crane along its quayside, scheduled for late 2022.