Danish vessel designer Knud E. Hansen has presented a new wind turbine installation vessel fit to carry four new-generation 14 MW wind turbines. 

Tailored for cost-effective installation of large-scale wind farms, the so-called Atlas A-class vessel is specifically dimensioned for transporting and assembling wind turbines on top of pre-installed foundations.

Knud E. Hansen said the vessel can be entirely optimised for the jacking operation, with a 1,600-2,500 tonne crane and minimal system weight for the jacking equipment, and that including its other customised options offers important competitive advantages over less flexible, off-the-shelf designs.

The in-house developed vessel is powered by eight generators connected to a DC grid and a battery pack, allowing the engines to run at variable speed for fuel efficiency while also utilising load leveling and peak shaving.  The batteries make it possible to recover approximately 60% of the energy used for jacking, when the jacking units are reversed on the way down.

The electrical jacking system is designed for 5000 load cycles, ensuring that the legs and components will withstand wear throughout the life of the vessel, avoiding costly and resource-heavy replacements along the way, the company explained.

The new vessel design follows on the Atlas C-class platform the Copenhagen-headquartered firm unveiled in December last year.