Granada awarded major contract for Hywind, the world’s first commercial floating wind farm

Aibel AS have awarded Granada the contract to design, manufacture, third party certify, deliver and commission 10 davit cranes for the Hywind Offshore Wind Farm. Each of the Granada Python crane units has been specifically designed for Hywind and the challenging marine environment in which it will operate. Two Python crane units will be fitted to each of the five floating platforms.

Each Python crane unit measures approximately 4 metres in height, 5.3 metres in radius, and weighs 3,000kgs. Due to the floating nature of the Hywind foundations, the cranes have also been engineered to cope with the larger than normal foundation motions. A maximum lifting capacity of 2,000kgs is needed to hoist the heavier serviceable components from the supply vessel to the laydown area on the platforms of the transition piece platform. The crane units have been designed with a particular emphasis on health and safety and the crane operator’s needs, and are a design unique to Granada Material Handling Ltd.

Mark Sidwell, director of Granada, commented:

“The Hywind contract is great news for Granada, and for our UK-based supply chain, and we appreciate Aibel’s recognition of our expertise across the offshore and renewables sectors. We continue to work with designers, turbine manufacturers and wind farm operators to further enhance our products, to ensure that we offer our customers the very latest developments in lifting technology.”

Granada are currently liaising with specialist sub-contractors across the UK, and will deliver the crane units for this contract over a two month period.