LiftWerx, a specialist in alternative lifting solutions for wind turbine corrective repairs, in close co-operation with Kenz Figee and Eager.one, has developed the world’s most cost effective, versatile, and environmentally-friendly up-tower crane for the wind energy O&M industry.
LiftWerx’s GenHookTM cranes are designed to perform major corrective repairs in wind turbine nacelles. In less than one year, Kenz Figee, in close partnership with Eager.one, has delivered this new crane technology, designed to work in the harshest of weather environments. The cranes are equipped with fully-electric winches which can lift and exchange gearboxes, blades, and generators with extreme accuracy, while working in wind speeds up to 18 meters per second. Last week, LiftWerx successfully executed its first gearbox replacement with its first GenHookTM crane on a GE 1.6-100 wind turbine in Michigan, United States.
According to Glen Aitken, President of LiftWerx: “We are proud and excited to deliver this new crane technology to our customers. It is our strategy for our new GenHook™ cranes to reduce downtime, costs, and disruption compared to using traditional cranes. By combining the ideas and talents of our employees, clients and suppliers, we have developed a new crane technology which is simple, cost-effective, powerful, and user-friendly. And the best part is that these Zero-Emission Cranes are completely green. They are powered by the wind turbine itself, and unlike traditional cranes, they do not generate any CO2 emissions.”
Kenz Figee’s CEO, Jan-Pieter Klaver said: “The delivery of the first GenHookTM up-tower cranes to LiftWerx, which are rated at a lifting capacity of 27 tonnes, has marked a new era for Kenz Figee to enter the rapidly-growing renewable energy market. Thanks to the efforts of our team, combined with the skills of LiftWerx and Eager.one, we have produced an innovative new crane technology which will set the bar even higher for the wind energy industry.”