"Gigantic aluminum spiders" might sound like the stuff of nightmares or an antagonist in an anime series. However, for one Norwegian company, they could be the future of the wind energy industry.
WindSpider, a tech company that focuses on onshore and offshore wind turbines, has developed a new self-erecting crane system that could revolutionize the way turbines are built.
The WindSpider crane uses the tower of the wind turbine itself as part of the crane while performing installation, maintenance, repowering, and decommissioning of bottom-fixed and floating offshore wind turbines. This allows operations to be performed on floating turbines on site and at sea and for a lifting capacity that can be scaled to over 1,500 tons with no height limitations.
Understandably, the company is attracting a lot of interest from investors. It has already received funding from Innovasjon Norge, IKM, IK Group, Advanced Control, Breivik Group AS, and DNV. It recently received additional investment from Leirvik Group AS to begin building the first actual WindSpider unit as well.
"WindSpider is very pleased to have partnered with a strong company like Leirvik. We see great strengths and synergies in combining the entrepreneurial spirit of WindSpider with Leirvik's industrial experience as we begin our process of building the first WindSpider unit, which will follow the currently ongoing development of the control system and the simulator," said Hans Olav Hide, Chairman of the Board at WindSpider.
Likewise, Leirvik seemed to be very pleased about the partnership.
"Leirvik is impressed by WindSpider's system and believe it will be a game-changer in the growing global wind market. Combined with Leirvik's extensive experience and unique knowledge related to large constructions in aluminium, we see great synergies with WindSpider going forward and also significant benefits of building the WindSpider system in aluminium," said Helge Gjøsæter, CEO of Leirvik.
Norway has emerged as one of the world's leaders in wind energy development, already boasting the world's largest offshore floating wind farm.
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