Wind-turbine developer and manufacturer Lagerwey, based in Barneveld, The Netherlands, has developed the world's first climbing crane to enable faster and cheaper construction of wind turbines.

The Lagerwey Crane doesn't require a large base, enabling construction of wind turbines in places where it was previously impossible, such as on dikes, mountain ridges, forests and marshland. In addition, the crane can operate under wind conditions of up to 15 metres per second.

The Lagerwey Crane makes more sites suitable for the construction of wind turbines. At the moment, locations are deemed unsuitable if the ground is unable to withstand the forces that large, heavy machinery would put on them. Unsuitable access roads can also prevent the use of large machines. The Lagerwey Crane can be transported with three normal trailers, the crane itself is relatively light and does not exert force on the subsoil. As a result, 'difficult-to-access' sites are now suitable for the production of wind energy. This means that more wind projects are possible in new locations.

The design of the crane is complete. Lagerwey wants to test the first prototype of the crane early 2017. At the moment, the crane only fits the modular steel masts that Lagerwey uses for the construction of wind-turbine towers, more specifically the L100-2.5MW Lagerwey turbine and the new L136-4.0MW wind turbine.

свернуть