Huisman has signed a contract with Cadeler for the design and production of a monopile gripper.
Production of the monopile gripper will take place at Huisman’s production facility in China.
The monopile gripper, having a 13-metre diameter, is engineered for the efficient and controlled installation of monopiles ranging from 80 to 120 metres in length, with a weight of up to 3,000mt. The gripper can also be entirely stored on deck, facilitating future maintenance procedures and thus operational longevity, Huisman said.
“We are very thankful that Cadeler has ordered this gripper, next to the thirteen main cranes and auxiliary cranes already on order, which again affirms the strong relationship and trust between the two companies,” said David Roodenburg , CEO of Huisman.
The contract with Cadeler also includes an option for the integration of a noise mitigation system, designed to minise the impact of noises on sea life.
“This new contract with Huisman solidifies our strategic commitment and collaboration in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible as we prepare for the future of offshore wind farm construction,” said Mikkel Gleerup , CEO of Cadeler.
The gripper, a first for Cadeler, will come to play a key role in delivering the foundations at the Hornsea Three offshore wind farm site in the UK, Huisman said. In April 2023, Cadeler and Ørsted signed two contracts for the 2.9 GW project, one for the installation of monopile foundations and one for the installation of around half of the project’s wind turbines.
The latest order from Cadeler represents the fourth static gripper order for Huisman.
The company also delivered two motion-compensated monopile grippers for DEME’s Orion and Boskalis’ Bokalift 2 . Currently, Huisman is in the process of building one for Heerema’s Thialf .