Offshore construction company Van Oord is upgrading its heavy lift installation vessel Svanen, with a focus on the next generation of monopile foundations.
Among the improvements, Svanen’s gantry crane will be extended by 25 m and will make the vessel one of the largest of its kind worldwide, said Van Oord. The extension, weighing 1,200 tonnes, will be constructed by Holland Shipyards and installed using a 200 m-high Mammoet crane.
This will enable the crane to handle the next generation of monopile foundations for offshore wind projects.
Besides the extension, the enhancements include an upgrade of the lifting hooks, which will increase the lifting capacity of the vessel from 3,000 tonnes to 4,500 tonnes, an upgrade of the gripper to handle increased loads and an upgrade of the structure of the vessel to accommodate the latest hammer size. The modifications will take place on several locations in the Netherlands, mainly in the Rotterdam area.
Arnoud Kuis, managing director offshore wind, said: “Because of the global need for renewable energy, wind farm technology is rapidly advancing and turbines are getting larger. The upgrade of the Svanen prepares us for this increase in scale and allows us to maintain our leadership position in the offshore wind industry.”
The upgraded Svanen will be operational in the third quarter of 2024. Its first project will be the Baltic Power offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea. This wind farm will feature the new generation of wind turbines, with a generating capacity of 15 MW.
