21.06.2019

A faster/safer way to install turbine blades?

Dutch international heavy lift company Mammoet and international marine contractor Van Oord have agreed a partnership to develop a new lifting method for installing wind turbine blades with Australian technical lifting and rotation management specialist Verton.

The partners believe that by sharing knowledge and expertise they will be able to speed up the development of an improved method to shorten the installation cycle times wind turbine blades, while making their installation safer for operators.

Verton has developed a remote rotating device that uses gyroscopic modules installed a spreader beam that allows a banksman to rotate and control a suspended load via a remote controller, rather than tag lines. A new concept has now been developed in which this unit is integrated into a lifting yoke for installing wind turbine blades.
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The Verton R-Series remote controlled beam – see video below

Van Ord engineer Wouter de Wildt said: “The system allows operators to rotate and install heavy loads without using tag lines. Not only is this safer for operators, but it also shortens the installation cycle times.”

Van Oord and Mammoet have each committed to the first phase of a three phase development programme. In the first ‘kick-off’ phase the two will carry out a full technical and requirement assessment. Turbine supplier Vestas has agreed to be a knowledge partner in this stage of the development, providing the project partners with the technical information and expertise required for the development of the new product.

Mammoet director of market development and innovations Jacques Stoof said: Mammoet. “We are pleased to collaborate with other organisations in the same field, so we can jointly develop new tools and equipment to help the world of renewable energy to work safer and more efficiently.”
The agreement was concluded and signed by Stoof, Van Oord chief operating officer Paul Verheul and Verton managing director Trevor Bourne.

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(L-R) Jacques Stoof of Mammoet, Trevor Bourne of Verton and Paul Verheul of Van Oord

Verton Technologies R-series from Esna Louwrens on Vimeo.