20.05.2025

BladeMax tackles German wind project

German crane, access and heavy haulage company Hofmann Kranvermietung completed has completed its first job with a Cometto BladeMax1000, wind turbine blade transporter job with a new Cometto BladeMax1000, delivering wind turbine blades through complex route in the Rhineland-Palatinate.

The project involved moving a number of 81 metre long rotor blades to the Zerfer Schneeberg wind farm near Trier-Saarburg, using a 12 axle Cometto MSPE self-propelled combination with mounted Bladelifter.
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Hofmann's BladeMax1000 makes its debut

The route included several S-curves and steep gradients on forest roads, requiring the blade to be elevated above tree lines along the B407 highway.

Hofmann operations manager Dieter Abt said: "Everything that was promised to us in advance has now been implemented exactly with this transporter. Our expectations were more than met, and we are confident of its success for the future."
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The blade in transit carefully positioned to avoid the trees

The job was part of a project to install five Nordex N163 and N149 5.7 megawatt wind turbines, with hub heights of 164 metres, an 800 tonne Liebherr LR1800 crawler crane was used for the lifts. When completed, the wind farm is expected to generate 81 million kilowatts annually.
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Cometto sales manager Joachim Kolb said: "This development allows the automatic balancing of the total of 48 electronically controlled wheels of the self-driving system among the four support groups."

Hofmann Kranvermietung is based in Paderborn and is part of the Bracht group of companies while also being a Partnerlift association member. It began offering mobile crane rentals in 1962 and now runs a fleet of 35 units topped by a 750 tonner. The fleet numbers around 160 machines.