May 26 - Have modern cranes reached their limits in terms of renewable energy infrastructure and wind turbine tower installation Loading capacity decreases significantly with increased height and longer jibs and at some point every approach reaches its li

This issue will be a theme explored in the renewable energy logistics feature in the next issue of HLPFI magazine.

It has also prompted the establishment of Heavy Lift Systems LLC, says co-founder and CEO Peter Vicars.

"We have a patented innovative approach to solving the problem of higher, heavier and remote, which we also believe results in significant ROI to the wind farm operator. Our technology advantage is built on the Montgolfier belief that lighter than air caused inflated balloons to rise; however ours uses modern technology of software control to control the Tethered AeroStat Crane (TAC) just like a crane.

"We have the interest of the US Department of Energy and are recipients of a Phase 1 SBIR grant, for completing work on our proof of concept system. We are told in the same breath that it is wacky but potentially transformative," he says.

Other Aerostat crane systems are based on the use of a blimp or small helium dirigible airship, Heavy Lift System's TAC is based on a tethered hot air balloon.

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