Huisman Receives First Monopile Gripper Order from Japan

November 15, 2022, by Adnan Durakovic

Huisman has been awarded a contract by TOA Corporation and Obayashi in Japan for the delivery of a monopile gripper.

The gripper will allow TOA and Obayashi to upend and install monopiles without using a separate upending bucket, which is said to improve the safety and efficiency of operations on board.

The Huisman Monopile Gripper will be the first of its kind to be used in Japan, Huisman said.

The gripper will be installed on TOA and Obayashi’s Self Elevating Platform (SEP), which is outfitted with a 1,250mt Huisman Pedestal Mounted Crane.

The gripper will be capable of handling monopiles of up to 8 metres in diameter, fully utilising the capacity of the SEP.

Huisman said the company paid special attention to optimising the upending process, in which the gripper and crane control software communicate with each other to ensure the system – as a whole – operates within its limits.

”We are extremely honoured to be awarded our very first monopile gripper contract in Japan. This order is the result of our partnership with TOA Corporation and Obayashi, which we have developed over multiple years,” Timon Ligterink, Commercial Director Asia-Pacific at Huisman.

”Together with the Huisman-built crane, the gripper will allow safe upending and installation of monopiles in Japanese waters, accelerating the energy transition in the country. We thank TOA Corporation and Obayashi for their continued trust in Huisman and look forward to successfully developing this gripper together.”