Last Updated on December 12, 2024 by PALFINGER
PALFINGER MARINE is immensely proud of its reputation as an established pioneer in the field of lifting and handling solutions for the offshore wind market. It requires a lot of hard work to become one of the preferred suppliers within the industry. Be it innovative product development, maintaining and expanding a global service network, or providing a comprehensive training portfolio, we have always strived to deliver excellence at every level – and we have no intention of slowing down. Find out why PALFINGER MARINE considers the offshore wind business an important strategic pillar.
The offshore wind industry can be considered the supreme discipline for lifting and handling solutions. Its harsh environments create opportunities for innovation in product development, while requiring a robust and reliable service network. As a trusted partner throughout the industry, PALFINGER MARINE is fully committed to deliver the highest standards not only on the product side but also on lifetime support.
EXAMPLES OF EXCELLENCE IN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
In 2022, PALFINGER MARINE redesigned its well-proven fixed boom (PF) crane range in accordance with the latest technical requirements of the European standard EN13852-3. This standard serves as the benchmark for the calculation of lifting devices for use in the offshore wind business beyond Europe too. The new PF cranes are modular and compact in design, with a standardized outreach from 3 to 9 meters. Their “plug-and-play” approach minimizes installation time for the customer.
Other prime examples of our innovation potential include the Offshore Passenger Transfer System (OPTS) and the fully electric jib cranes. The OPTS, a 3D compensated passenger and cargo transfer system, facilitates the safe and efficient transfer between a moving vessel and a static offshore structure, such as a wind turbine. The system, designed to be mounted on small, cost-effective vessels, reduces operational and capital expenditure costs significantly, while enhancing the safety of transfer of service engineers maintaining offshore installations. It is set to hit the market in 2025.
For use on unmanned substations, PALFINGER MARINE developed fully electric, remote-operated jib cranes. The new series reduces accidents to zero due to autonomous features and no personnel are needed in the critical loading area. Its power consumption is only 30 to 50 percent of conventional offshore cranes and the remote operation from an onshore location significantly reduces the need for helicopter transfers.
HARD-EARNED CUSTOMER TRUST
Trust is the hardest currency to earn in any industry, yet even more so in the complex offshore wind segment. “We are therefore particularly proud to be the preferred supplier for many wind farm owners and operators,” says Iavor Martchev Markov, Global Sales Manager Wind.
In the last two years alone, we delivered 460 nacelle cranes, 420 platform cranes, and 25 substation cranes to satisfied customers with many more landmark orders in the pipeline.
From a pioneer with a strong customer base in Europe, we have evolved into a well-established player in the Asian region, delivering tailor-made solutions in key offshore wind markets like Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. The recent opening of a new office in Australia and the strengthening of our service team in Taiwan have significantly increased our commitment to the offshore wind market in the Asia-Pacific region. These efforts have been rewarded with orders for wind park projects in Taiwan (Hai Long offshore wind farm project) and Japan (Ishikari and Hibiki-nada wind farm projects), to name just a few. In combination with an equally strong order book in the North Sea region and supply contracts to US wind farms located off the East Coast, PALFINGER MARINE enjoys a strong global presence – a position we’re not only willing to defend, but eager to expand.
COMMITTED TO SERVICE EXELLENCE
Service excellence is our promise. “With a global network of 27 sales and service hubs and more than 300 highly skilled and qualified service engineers, we are a reliable and professional partner in every situation,” says Gary Joseph, Head of Global Service Execution. “We are actually looking to further expand our service footprint in Europe, Asia, and USA by hiring more dedicated staff,” he adds.
Our service personnel are continuously trained to maintain the highest standards and keep pace with the latest technologies and industry requirements. Our digital solution, the Customer Machine Interface (CMI), enables remote access to the crane for diagnostics, troubleshooting, and calibration, boosting operational efficiency and maximizing uptime. In collaboration with RelyOn – the world’s leading provider of multi-service and qualification training – we developed a virtual reality training simulator. The virtual courses are not only location-independent, but they also guarantee maximum safety with maximum realism, visualizing a full lifting cycle – from the CTV in the boat landing to the nacelle.
Beyond training our own staff, we offer comprehensive training programs for our customers. These are conducted on-site, at our specialized training center in Salzburg, and online. “Our training portfolio is highly popular,” says Guilherme Felix, Head of Global Marine After Sales. “In 2024, we had over 300 participants from both PALFINGER and customer teams,” he adds.
PALFINGER MARINE’s unwavering commitment to the offshore wind industry is sure to bring forth many more product innovations and service enhancement. Check back for more information on this exciting topic.
Copyright header image: EnBW | Rolf_Otzipka