Huisman Scales Up Production Capacity to Meet Demand from Offshore Wind Sector
Dutch marine equipment maker Huisman, known for its offshore crane solutions, said Wednesday it had doubled the slew bearing production capacity of its facility in Schiedam, the Netherlands.
"With this significant increase in production capacity, Huisman is able to meet the growing demand for large diameter slew bearings, an integral part and key component of its Heavy Lift Cranes," Huisman said.
As for the expansion, the company said that it was responding to the "considerable" order intake of large offshore cranes and that investment in a second milling machine provided Huisman with sufficient production capacity for the future.
David Roodenburg, CEO of Huisman: “The ambitions for offshore wind have resulted in high demand for heavy lift cranes. To ensure the highest quality and on-time delivery to our clients, we have scaled up our production capacity. We have opted to deploy a second Zayer milling machine in the Netherlands to guarantee the continuity of our projects here and to invest in the expertise of our people. Since our slew bearings are an essential part of the unique lightweight design of our cranes, the investment in production capacity allows us to strengthen our position as the global market leader in heavy lift cranes.”
Huisman reminded that it had designed and delivered the world’s largest slew bearings for the Heerema Sleipnir 10,000mt Tub Mounted Cranes in 2018. These slew bearings have a diameter of 30m. To date, Huisman has a track record of approximately 25 slew bearings, the company said.
Last month South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co ordered from Huisman a 2,600mt Leg Encircling Crane (LEC), to be installed on Eneti’s newbuild wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV).
The new Leg Encircling Crane has a 147-meter long boom, capable of reaching 170 meters above deck. With its 2,600mt lifting capacity, the crane will be able to install up to 20MW turbines, which are expected to come to the market in the near future.
Huisman will design, engineer, and build the crane and pedestal adapter at its production facility in Zhangzhou, China.
Late last year, the Dutch offshore equipment provider signed a contract with Keppel AmFELS for the delivery of a Leg Encircling Crane (LEC) for what will be the first Jones Act-compliant wind turbine installation vessel - Dominion Energy’s Charybdis. The crane will have a 2,200mt lifting capacity, and 130m long boom.