Investigations conducted by K2 Management show that getting the crane setup right can reduce installation costs by up to 50 per cent on tall turbine projects. Wind farm developers can save € 180.000 per installed turbine by choosing the optimal crane setup for tall projects. Typically, around 25 percent, and in some cases up to 50 percent, of installation costs can be saved, according to a price study conducted by K2 Management.
Many wind projects in Europe are being built with hub heights above 120 meters to capture more power, but the existing standard setup suggested by the turbine manufacturer will often be too expensive. The civil contracts and construction of hard stands are at the developer’s expense, so turbine manufacturers do not have a big focus on optimising this setup. K2 Management looked at a European 40MW onshore site consisting of 12 3MW turbines with a standard steel tubular or bolted tower. Even at 100 meters, hub height installation costs for a crane can vary 10-15 per cent (€ 20-30.000 per turbine) if you are not in control of crane, planning and mobilisation costs. At 134 meters the price difference is around 25 per cent (€ 40-50.000 per turbine) and at 168 meters hub height it’s 50 percent (€ 180-360.000 per turbine) between the cheapest and most expensive setup.
