Case
Crawler Cranes
SPMT & Trailers
Wind
THE NORTH SEA IS MUCH MORE THAN OIL
Offshore wind is expected to be a key pillar ofBelgium’s future energy mix and is projected to represent around 10 per cent ofthe total generated electricity by 2025.
One of the offshore wind farms that will be deliveringelectricity to the Belgian grid is Norther with a total of 44 wind turbines anda maximum capacity of 370 MW. This farm is located in the Belgian part of theNorth Sea approximately 25 kilometres from the port of Zeebrugge.The owners of Norther are experienced in developingrenewable energy projects: The Belgian renewable energy producer Eneco WindBelgium SA, the Dutch producer and supplier of renewable electricity, naturalgas, and heat Elicio NV, and Diamond Generating Europe Limited. Diamond is a Mitsubishi Corporation owned company operating renewable andenergy-efficient assets in Europe and the Middle East.
As part of the project, BMS Heavy Cranes started work at the port of Vlissingen in the Netherlands in the fall of 2018. The company is mainly focusing on port handling and preassembly of offshore turbines, offloading of turbine components from vessels, transport of turbine parts to storage, assembly of turbine towers, and finally transport of turbine components from storage to the load-out position.
Involved in the job expected to last around nine months are equipment such as a Liebherr LR11350 with 1,350 tons capacity, a Goldhofer self-propelled modular transporter (SPMT) with 24 axle lines as well as upending tools and a large number of containers for equipment, workforce, and tools. The crew in Vlissingen consisting of site management, crane supervisor, crane operators, SPMT supervisor, and SPMT operators are working dayshift five to six days per week – and night shifts whenever needed.
The Norther offshore wind farm is set to become Belgium’s largest project of its kind. When fully operational in 2019, Norther will generate enough sustainable energy to meet the needs of almost 400,000 homes.
The Norther offshore wind farm is set to become Belgium’s largest project of its kind. When fully operational in 2019, Norther will generate enough sustainable energy to meet the needs of almost 400,000 homes.