New lifting and transport systems, develloped by Mammoet, have been used at the port of Rønne, Denmark, to handle XXL monopiles for the Windanker offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea. As offshore wind turbines increase in size, monopile foundations are becoming heavier and longer, creating logistical challenges during port handling and offshore feedering. For the Windanker project, new terminal cranes and specialised self-propelled modular transporter saddles were introduced to manage monopiles that would otherwise exceed the limits of conventional crawler crane operations at the quay.
The equipment was deployed during marshalling activities for the 315 MW Windanker offshore wind farm, developed by Windanker and installed by Van Oord in German waters. In total, 21 monopiles were handled at the port. The monopiles were manufactured in Spain and delivered to Rønne in seven shipments. The largest units weighed up to 2,150 tonnes and measured around 87 metres in length.
At the port, the monopiles were offloaded from transport vessels using self-propelled modular transporters, moved to temporary storage on sand bunds, and capped to ensure watertightness. The enhanced lifting range of the transport system allowed for deeper and more stable storage arrangements while reducing the amount of construction material required.
Following preparation, the monopiles were lifted into the water using two newly developed terminal cranes and towed to the offshore installation vessel *Svanen* for final installation. The crane configuration reduced ground bearing pressures at the quay, avoiding the need for additional civil reinforcement works and allowing continuous offshore installation operations.
