Germany: PALFINGER WIND Obtains Major Order for Nordsee Ost Offshore Wind Farm

RWE is currently constructing one of the largest commercial wind power projects off the German coast. The starting signal for construction of the 48 wind turbines was given in late 2011; the site is located 30 km north of the island of Helgoland.

The REpower turbines used each have a power of 6.15 megawatts and cover the electricity consumption of the equivalent of 6,000 households. Completion and commissioning of the wind park is scheduled for 2014. A total of three PALFINGER WIND cranes per turbine will be used in the Nordsee Ost wind park: the nacelle crane PK 40002 M, the PSM 400 on the platform, complemented by an additional SCMT handy crane.

RWE is among the five leading energy supply groups in Europe and is investing around EUR 1 billion in the construction of Nordsee Ost. REpower is one of the leading system providers of wind energy plants, both onshore and offshore.

Tried-and-tested lifting concept complemented by an additional platform crane on the second boat landing

With the combination of the nacelle crane PK 40002 M and the platform crane PSM 400, PALFINGER WIND offers a perfectly coordinated lifting concept for transporting parts for maintenance and servicing from the supply ship onto the platform and on into the nacelle. The new generation in the PSM 400 platform crane series sets new standards with regard to maintenance and safety as well as environmental compatibility. If the crane is serviced regularly, oil changing will no longer be necessary, and this can save repair costs and time. All mechanical components in the PSM 400 fulfil corrosion category C5-M, and the electrical components comply with a protection class of at least IP 56. The proportional valves permit particularly sensitive control of the crane. The customarily high safety standard at PALFINGER WIND has been verified and confirmed by Germanischer Lloyd (GL). Thanks to the use of bio-degradable oil, the risk of environmental contamination can be practically ruled out. In addition to the PSM 400, PALFINGER WIND developed a second platform crane specifically for the NSO wind park. The electric crane SCMT 3kN – 6.0 m can also be operated manually in the event of a power failure.

[mappress]

Press release, January 15, 2013; Image: palfinger