Written by
Nick Blenkey
Dominion Energy WITV is designed for current turbine technologies and next-generation turbine sizes of 12 megawatts or more
Schiedman, the Netherlands, headquartered in Huisman, is supplying a leg crane with a lifting capacity of 2,200 tons for the Jones Act-compliant installation ship wind turbine installation ship currently being built for Dominion Energy at the Keppel AMFELS shipyard in Brownsville, Texas.
According to Huisman, with its lifting capacity, lightweight design, 130 meter boom and compact house, the crane is unique and ideal for installing next-generation offshore wind turbines and foundations.
The UK-based jack-up ship Seajacks is helping Dominion Energy with construction and operational supervision for the WITV project. Huisman will implement the same technology for the Dominion vessel that it used for the leg crane on Seajacks’ Scylla offshore wind installation vessel.
Huisman leg crane
The crane for the Dominion WITV is scheduled for delivery in 2023. Huisman North America is located in Rosenberg. Texas is planning commissioning and testing at the Keppel AmFELS shipyard.
“Having a Jones Act-compliant offshore wind installation vessel is critical to the continued growth of the US offshore wind industry,” said Mark D. Mitchell, senior vice president, project construction, Dominion Energy. “Huisman is a global leader and brings years of experience to this company. It will also enable the offshore wind industry to deliver clean, renewable energy to customers in the US.”
“We are grateful for the trust Dominion Energy has shown in Huisman and are proud to be part of a driving force in the US energy transition,” said David Roodenburg, CEO of Huisman. “We look forward to working with Dominion Energy, Keppel AmFELS and Seajacks on the delivery of this state-of-the-art crane. We use our extensive experience in the design and construction of cranes with large capacity for the offshore wind market. We are aware of the challenges associated with such an investment during the COVID-19 era, without the possibility of personal interaction during the conclusion of the contractual agreement and the start of the project itself. That’s why we value Dominion’s trust even more. ”
Features of the Huisman Leg Encircling Crane include:
- A fully electrically powered system that results in high positioning accuracy, less maintenance and greater reliability.
- A unique lambda boom design that ensures a light and rigid design.
- Small stern swing for optimized use of the free deck.
- The rigid construction of the lambda-shaped boom results in less movement at the crane tip.
