Tetrahedron, a young Offshore Wind Engineering company in Rotterdam, has announced the completion of a 130-meter-tall prototype crane.

The new crane has several advantages over conventional luffing boom cranes, notably its ability to lift higher. The crane features a novel design with a different motion principle and structural force flow. This was confirmed through strain and deflection measurements carried out by TNO. The large-scale, non-slewing prototype crane effectively demonstrates this new motion principle and unique force flow.

Key features of the crane include a fast and smooth luffing motion that enables a lifting height of 130 meters above ground level, compared to only 90 meters for a luffing boom crane with the same footprint. It also has a very slender jib, providing flexibility in moving loads, which is especially beneficial for blade handling operations. Additionally, the crane offers real-time sidelead measurement, crucial when lifting loads designed to catch wind.

Tetrahedron developed this prototype crane to showcase its offshore suitability for wind turbine handling. It is specifically capable of performing maintenance work on 10MW wind turbines and is tailored for compact jack-up vessels with tubular legs.

The project was supported by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs with a subsidy from Topsector Energie and an investment from the Van Es Group. Last week, project partners TNO, JackUpBarge BV, and steerco Shell, GE completed their assignments.