Van Oord’s heavy-lift installation vessel Svanen will get a major upgrade. Among other improvements, the gantry crane will be extended by 25 m, making the vessel ready to handle the next generation of monopile foundations for offshore wind projects.
The extension of the gantry crane will make the Svanen one of the largest heavy-lift installation vessels worldwide.
The extension, weighing 1200 tonnes, will be constructed by Holland Shipyards and installed using a 200 m high Mammoet crane.
Besides the gantry extension, the upgrade programme includes an upgrade of the lifting hooks which will increase the lifting capacity of the vessel from 3000 tonnes to 4500 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 in several locations in the Netherlands, mainly in the Rotterdam area.
The upgraded Svanen will be operational in the third quarter of 2024.
‘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,’ says Arnoud Kuis, managing director offshore wind.
The first project the upgraded Svanen will be deployed on is the Baltic Power offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea. This wind farm will feature a new generation of wind turbines, with a generating capacity of 15 MW. Due to the upgrade, the Svanen will be able to install the foundations of these new-generation wind turbines. Besides the high lifting height and the significant lifting capacity, the low draught makes the Svanen well-suited for operations in the Baltic Sea.
It has already played a leading role in several Baltic projects, such as Kriegers Flak, Baltic 2, Arkona and Baltic Eagle.
Author: Cyann Fielding, AntwerpXL
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