Ulstein Design, Huisman Crane for Penta-Ocean’s New Offshore Wind Installation Vessel

Penta-Ocean Construction has awarded Huisman a contract for the delivery of a 5,000-tonne tub-mounted crane and a monopile handling system for its new heavy lift vessel (HLV), designed by Ulstein. The HLV is tailored for the Japanese offshore wind market and is said to be “the world’s first fully integrated heavy lift vessel.”

Penta-Ocean decided on a capital investment of approximately JPY 79 billion (approximately EUR 488 million) for the construction of offshore wind construction vessels in December 2024, earmarking the funds which represent 45.7 per cent of the company’s consolidated net assets at the end of the previous fiscal year for building the HLV and a cable laying vessel (CLV). The cable layer will be built by PaxOcean and the heavy lift installation vessel by Seatrium.

With the new HLV, Penta-Ocean wants to enable the efficient installation of foundations for 15 MW to 20 MW-class wind turbines, according to the company’s announcement from December 2024.

The HLV is of Ulstein’s HX118 design with the U-STERN which, according to the vessel designer, will be the largest X-BOW vessel to date.

The U-STERN features longitudinal storage and upending of monopiles along the vessel’s centreline. This enables the installation of longer monopiles without overhanging the ship’s sides and allows the vessel to face the waves during the installation, minimising ship motions and fuel consumption, Ulstein says.

The crane and monopile handling system supplier Huisman says that the equipment concept, developed collaboratively with Penta-Ocean Construction and Ulstein, seamlessly integrates the crane and handling tools into Penta-Ocean Construction’s new heavy lift vessel.

The 5,000-tonne active heave-compensated tub-mounted crane features a dual main hoist and a universal quick connector, enabling efficient, safe tool changes to reduce cycle time and safety risks, according to Huisman, which says the key advantages of the low-weight crane include a compact tail swing for deck space optimisation, no counterweight, full revolving capacity, and an in-house produced slew bearing.

The motion-compensated pile gripper, part of the monopile handling system from Huisman, is specifically designed for the installation of large-diameter, variable-length monopiles over the vessel’s unique U-shaped stern, the company said on 27 January.

With the monopiles being stored lengthwise on the vessel, the integrated upending system enables direct handling from storage to installation, minimising lifting operations, while the aft installation method enhances shielding, improving the vessel’s workability and operational efficiency, according to Huisman.

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