Dutch crane specialist Huisman won a contract with China's COSCO Shipping (Qidong) Offshore Co., Ltd. for the design and construction of a Leg Encircling Crane (LEC).
The crane, with a fully electrically driven system, will be installed on the $345 million F-class jack-up vessel recently ordered by the Danish offshore wind installation firm Cadeler. The vessel will be able to install both offshore wind foundations as well as the next-generation wind turbines.
To remind, Huisman last year won contracts for two identical 2,600mt Leg Encircling Cranes for Cadeler’s X-class offshore wind turbine installation vessels.
With the latest crane, Huisman says that Cadeler will be capable of installing foundations and wind turbines for next-generation offshore wind projects worldwide.
The F-class vessel features a special design, allowing the vessel to convert from being a foundation installation unit to a wind turbine generator installation vessel within a short period of time.
The scope of work for Huisman consists of the design, engineering and construction of the LEC at its production facility in Zhangzhou, China. The
cranes will be commissioned in 2025 at COSCO’s shipyard in Qidong, China, where the F-class vessel will be built.
According to Cadeler, the F-Class vessel will be able to transport up to six XL monopiles (weight 2,300-2,600mt each), alternatively to transport and install five sets of 20MW+ turbines per round-trip. The new F-Class is expected to be delivered in Q4/2025.
Cadeler is also in talks with a potential client for a maiden contract concerning an XL Monopile foundation installation contract in the North Sea, currently expected to start in Q2/2026.