PALFINGER, a global leader in innovative lifting solutions, has been selected to supply the first fully electric offshore cranes to be installed on the substations of the Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 offshore wind farms in Poland. These cranes mark a significant milestone in the electrification of offshore wind operations and represent the first of their kind in the industry.
Earlier this year, PALFINGER announced a contract to supply 100 platform cranes for the Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 projects. The addition of fully electric offshore cranes to the scope underscores the company’s growing contribution to advancing clean, efficient, and sustainable energy infrastructure in the Baltic region.
PALFINGER MARINE will equip the Bałtyk 2 and 3 wind farms off the Polish coast with two DKJ500e cranes, tailored to meet the demanding needs of offshore wind operations. Both cranes will be built at PALFINGER MARINE’s production location in Gdynia, Poland, and will further support the Polish local content contributed to the realization of the wind farms.
The DKJ500e with a safe working load of 5 tons at 28 meters outreach is a further development of the fully electric offshore jib cranes PALFINGER MARINE has developed for the Oil & Gas industry where the cranes are also designed to be fully remotely operated.
“Introducing the electric jib crane technology for the offshore wind segment is a technological milestone and a clear sign of our commitment to constant innovation and to driving electrification in this sector forward,” says Sverre Mowinckel-Nilsen, Director Global Key Accounts & Segments at PALFINGER MARINE. “This project strengthens our footprint in the energy sector and reinforces our role as a reliable partner in the global energy transformation.”
PALFINGER MARINE’s fully electric jib cranes offer a comprehensive range of benefits. With lifting capacities up to 40 tons – and even more on request – and an outreach of nearly 50 meters on the largest models, the cranes can handle heavy loads at high outreaches. The hallmark of these jib cranes is their fully electric drive system, ensuring an eco-friendly and low-maintenance solution which is of great relevance for offshore operations.
The innovative design of PALFINGER MARINE’s fully electric jib cranes minimizes the use of weather-exposed components and provides internal space for parking key parts, such as the trolley with the main winch and electric motors. This makes it an ideal solution for substations on offshore wind farms, which are unmanned, remotely located and where low maintenance is crucial for cost optimization. Moreover, they are equipped with advanced diagnostic systems and remote connectivity. From an onshore control location, the crane can be powered up and maintenance runs can be performed at regular intervals, even during periods of inactivity.
Contracted by lemants (a subsidiary of Smulders), PALFINGER MARINE will provide an essential contribution to the further electrification of the new wind farm, which is a joint development of Equinor and POLENERGIA. The offshore project near Ustka and Łeba aims to supply up to two million Polish households with energy and is scheduled to be fully operational by 2028. In addition to the pioneering installation of the two first fully electric jib cranes for offshore wind, PALFINGER MARINE will also deliver six PF160 cranes for both substations, with a lifting capacity of 2,000 kg at a significant wave height of two meters in single line of operation.
The Bałtyk 2 and 3 offshore wind farms will each have 50 Siemens Gamesa SG 14-236 DD wind turbines making up for 720 MW of installed capacity per wind farm located in the Polish exclusive economic zone of the Baltic Sea, approximately 37 and 22 kilometres from the coastline near Ustka and Łeba. Each of the wind turbines will be equipped with PF120 platform cranes from PALFINGER MARINE, contracted earlier this year.
