Mega-sized rigs, wind turbines, foundations, vessels and cables are often in the focus when talking about the offshore energy sector. Tools and equipment used to make those mammoth structures and install them offshore are no less impressive – and they too continue growing in size to enable the rollout of the new energy infrastructure.
In this article:
- Mammoet launches world’s biggest land-based crane
- Breman unveils new chain crane for offshore wind turbines
- PASSER: ‘We experience demand for increasingly larger equipment’
Fresh news and insights from our Offshore Energy Exhibition & Conference 2023 (OEEC 2023) exhibitors underscore the above.
Here, we bring news from three of our many OEEC 2023 exhibitors who announced new developments and projects since we saw them on the exhibition floor in November last year. All three companies are returning with stands and/or representatives to OEEC 2024 on November 26 and 27.
Mammoet launches world’s biggest land-based crane
On August 30, Mammoet launched the SK6000 ring crane, said to be the world’s strongest land-based crane, at its Westdorpe facility in the Netherlands.
The new crane has a maximum capacity of 6,000 tonnes and is capable of lifting components of up to 3,000 tonnes to a height of 220 meters.
This giant piece of equipment can handle large components for next-generation energy structures and improve operations with the existing ones. According to Mammoet, this crane marks a new era in heavy lifting technology, offering unprecedented lifting capacity and reach, and opening up new construction methodologies for large projects.
The SK6000 supports the continued constructability of next-generation offshore wind turbines and foundations. In the nuclear energy industry, it unlocks new modular construction options for nuclear facilities, with increased cost-effectiveness and safety. In the oil and gas sector, the crane helps new build and expansion projects benefit from economies of scale on a never-before-seen level, Mammoet says.
According to the company, the SK6000 builds on the design philosophy of Mammoet’s SK190 and SK350 series, which are proven in the market.
“This is a thrilling new chapter for Mammoet and modular construction in heavy industry, as we see the SK6000 taking shape,” said Koen Brouwers, Project Manager for the SK6000.
“It will offer a hook height, outreach, and lifting capacity far in excess of any crane on the market. We are excited to bring this groundbreaking technology to our customers, helping them achieve their project goals with greater efficiency and more sustainably.”
Breman unveils new chain crane for offshore wind turbines
The Breman Group has presented a new high-speed, chain-driven davit crane combined with a self-engaging crane hook.
Officially unveiled to the wider public on August 24, the new Chain Crane has a standard lifting capacity of 1 tonne at a radius of 3.5 meters and a standard lifting height of up to 30 meters. A version with a lifting capacity of 3 tonnes is also available on request, the company says.
The crane can be supplied with a heave compensation mode and follows the vertical movements of a sensor on the maintenance vessel.
The self-engaging crane hook called the Eye Catcher, is remotely controlled and mechanically latches onto a standard lifting eye. The load can only be released when the wireless remote control is activated and the hook is unloaded.
Typically, a chain hoist is situated at the tip of a crane, rendering it susceptible to external factors such as weather, wind, salt deposits, and bird excrement. Breman says that the new crane excludes this disadvantage by enclosing the electrical chain drive system inside the metal crane housing. A patented chain loop ensures immediate chain run out, allowing the hook to move promptly upon motor activation.
According to the company, the new Chain Crane is a unique logistic concept for offshore wind turbine maintenance.
“At the request of our customers, we started working on the development of a chain crane, applicable in an offshore environment with high waves. This required two innovations: our patented chain loop, and the high-speed chain drive system needed to move the hook at one metre per second. Finally, there was our ingenuity to combine these innovations into the housing of one robust Chain Crane,” said Arjan Boezeman, Managing Director of Breman Innovations, part of the Breman Group.
PASSER: ‘We experience demand for increasingly larger equipment’
Back in February, we paid a visit to PASSER’s new workshop in Klaipeda, Lithuania, where one of the company’s vertical lay-up machines (VLM) was being built. The VLM is now in JDR Cable Systems’ new factory in Blyth, UK, and will be used to produce large subsea cables for offshore wind farms.
Following up with PASSER recently, the company revealed it was also looking at much larger carousels for cable manufacturing plants as the offshore energy industry is in the market for them.
The company delivered carousels with a capacity of up to 10,000 tonnes back in 2018, when this was a record-high capacity, which are now common. However, PASSER says it now sees more frequent demand for even higher capacities – those of up to 25,000 tonnes.
It is not only the carousels that are increasing in size but all the equipment the company is manufacturing for the energy industry, according to PASSER.
“With the larger sizes with more complex machinery, the requirements for customization and operational efficiency also increase. To meet these demands we have had to invest significantly to increase our capacity and specialized competence,” said Espen Brudal, PASSER Group’s Business Development Director.
“In 2023, we opened a new workshop, doubling our in-house fabrication capacity. And in 2024 we focused on developing our electro-automation capacity as we see this is a critical demand from our customers.”
