New crane, deft hands make turbine lift look easy

NUTTBY - A new crane using a unique lifting method was used to raise the blades and hub into place on the first turbine of the Nuttby wind farm. The crane, valued at more than $8 million, is a 660 tonne machine constructed by Demag Cranes Group of Germany. Wednesday's successful lift of the first blades and hub was also the very first job for the crane. Another 440 tonne version was used to erect the wind towers. Besides the extra technology offered by the new crane, such as the hydraulic jack supports used to stabilize it, another feature it offers is a second hook. Cranes generally only have one hook but Leil vice-president Allison Leil said the second hook offers a great deal more stability during a lift. And to his knowledge, it is the first time the two-hook system has ever been used in North America. "I believe (it is the first time)," he said. "This is the first time we've seen it." Another advantage is that the new crane has a narrow track, so it can be moved along the site's roads without having to be disassembled. The other large crane on site is a wide track and has to be taken apart each time it is moved. "It went smooth, eh," Leil said, after the turbines were set in place. "It's good equipment and fantastic people. They make the job look easy." Leil's has nine crane operators on site but only three are certified to operate the new model.