Norwegian company WindSpider has developed a lightweight crane system that is designed to virtually erect offshore wind turbines once the tower is in place, Electrek reports. The crane uses the tower as a support for installing other turbine components such as rotor blades. WindSpider is part of the Energy Transition Norway cluster and has been supported by the German energy company RWE since December 2022.
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Crane can install components on land and at sea
In early March, WindSpider announced an agreement with Leirvik Group, another Norwegian company specializing in offshore aluminum structures. The partnership is intended to enable WindSpider to build its giant “aluminum spider” cranes entirely from aluminum. Although the crane is very light, it is also said to be quite strong. According to the manufacturer, it has a lifting capacity of more than 1,500 tons for turbines more than 200 meters high and with up to 20 megawatts.
As soon as the tower of an offshore wind turbine is in place, it is possible to install the WindSpider crane. The self-erecting crane uses the standing tower as a support and can thus install other turbine components. Since the tower of the turbine serves as a support structure, it is possible to avoid relative movements between the crane and the turbine. The lifting solution is intended to enable the installation and replacement of larger components on land and at sea.
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WindSpider wants to halve the costs of offshore systems
The WindSpider crane is extendable and, unlike traditional cranes, there are said to be no restrictions on turbine weight or height in the design. According to the startup, this means that the crane should be robust even in the most difficult and windy environments and can be used on floating ships. It is compatible with both fixed and floating wind turbines. WindSpider says its crane could revolutionize the industry by reducing the cost of offshore wind turbines by more than 50 percent.