Wind power in its sails
The debate concerning alternative sources of energy has not yet abated. Crane-maker Liebherr is nevertheless banking on wind energy, amongst other things. It won a contract to supply the heavylift crane for the wind-farm installation vessel “Orion”.
The enterprise Liebherr-MCCtec Rostock, a subsidiary of the international crane producer Liebherr, has been awarded a contract to supply a unit designated as heavylift crane HLC 295000. It is rated with 3,000 t lifting capacity at an outreach of 50 m and more, with a lifting height in excess of 170 m. “This is the biggest crane Liebherr has ever developed so far,” a corporate spokesperson proudly proclaimed in the northern German port of Rostock, adding that “it’s going to be installed on the vessel Orion.”
The crane will be deployed for the installation of wind farms; in the steadily expanding segment for the decommissioning of offshore facilities; and in the oil and gas industry. The vessel was ordered by Deme from the firm Cosco (QiDong) Offshore, which is a subsidiary of Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry. The specialised crane is due to be delivered in spring 2019. Apart from this crane, the order also included two Liebherr RL-K 4200 knuckle-boom cranes, as well as an offshore crane simulator.
Faith in alternative energy
Gordon Clark, the sales director of Liebherr Offshore Cranes, pointed out that the firm sees “a promising future in the heavylift sector, with growth expected both in the green energy sector as well as in offshore decommissioning.”
To this end the Liebherr’s offshore crane division made a strategic decision in 2016 to extend its range of heavylift cranes, in order to be better able to position the company in the expanding decommissioning and offshore wind markets. The group’s maritime hub in Rostock, directly on the Baltic Sea, is well-suited to manufacturing such huge offshore equipment, the corporation underlined. Steel construction, assembly, installation, loadout and testing are all processed from Liebherr’s comprehensive facility on the Baltic Sea.
