how has offshore wind changed in the noughties? Newsnbrief
The industry has new installation vessels able to lift heavier loads higher. There are motion compensation platforms and attachments to the cranes that provide load stability from a vessel affected by the sea state. The ability to make the crane stable has been possible, but until now, the load suspended from the crane has always been exposed to the forces of the wind. This has been the cause of countless delays to installation and maintenance projects. But now, High Wind’s Boom Lock system changes all that. The innovative system enables the load to be stabilised while it hangs from the crane.
Although the offshore wind industry has produced many innovative pieces of engineering in its short life, there is still a conservative reaction to new technology. But this barrier is slowly being removed. The appraisal of the work on the Kentish Flats Extension has proven that the High Wind Boom Lock does what it says on the label and with further innovations like this, maybe in another 16 years’ time, we’ll be looking back at this phase in disbelief at how far things have progressed.
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