WINDLIFTER

Flexibility to meet future changing market requirements has been the starting point to develop the Windlifter turbine installation vessel, as the currently used dedicated units for the offshore wind industry are an obstacle to cost reductions.

The Windlifter is a Dynamically Positioned vessel suitable for single lift offshore wind turbine installations, and unlike jack-up units is not limited by waterdepth. The vessel with an ULSTEIN X-bow® transports 4 turbines at the same time and uses a modular, mechanical system to skid the turbines from the vessel onto the foundation.

The installation system excels in its simplicity, doing away with complex and therefore failure prone systems, like heave compensation. Furthermore the system is designed in such a way that all components are relatively close to deck level, improving accessibility and as such reducing maintenance costs.

Using an ULSTEIN X-bow® results in a vessel that has unprecedented motion characteristics, increasing the operational window for installation work.

By combining the offshore ship design expertise of Ulstein Sea of Solutions with the experiences of IDEA Heavy Equipment in developing mechanical constructions, the opportunity was created for innovation of the overall design instead of component improvements.