Renewable Energy - Roll Group

Renewable Energy needs adaptability and space

The development of large wind farms and the recent growth of the renewable energy sector in general has seen Roll Group partake in a number of projects involving the transportation and lifting of windmill blades, turbine equipment and transition pieces for example. These projects have provided our team with the necessary experience needed to handle this valuable and vulnerable cargo.

The flush deck of the BigRoll vessels and the adaptability of our RollDock vessels with their

Roll-On / Roll-Off and Lift-On / Lift-Off possibilities in combination with our specialist extendable trailers mean we are ideally equipped to handle all equipment in the renewable energy sector.

Due to the large deck surface, the possibility of loading at multiple levels and the large total weight of cargo that we can transport, means that our vessels have a lot of space to offer. Which results in maximum cargo per shipment, decreasing the number of voyages.

Curious about the solutions we can offer to transport your heavy cargo?

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Our solutions for the Renewable Energy industry:

When components push the envelope

Transition pieces

RollDock was asked to transport 66 transition pieces over 850 miles. A major challenge, as the components were pushing the envelope: the cargo weight, the lifting capacity of one crane and the available dock space. All were utilized to the max. The transition pieces were completed for immediate installation and assembled with a platform, which made the lifting operation – with RollDock’s onboard cranes – a precarious job, also taking into account the coating, which should not be affected since the structures will stand in sea water for more than 25 years.
The stability of the vessel was optimally with eight transition pieces on board. With fewer TPs the forces on the cargo and the vessel changed. Our engineers had to recalculate the loading conditions many times. To transport the cargo in a safe way, conventional sea fastening methods were not suitable. Therefore, a custom-made grillage design was devised in close cooperation with the client, allowing for rapid turnaround times in port.

RollDock

Precise movements ask for expertise

Windmill blade road transport

Windmill blades are getting larger and heavier. To bridge the distance between the receiving port and the jobsite – or the rail track that leads to the jobsite – and making many precise movements on the road, specialism is needed. Roll-Lift USA has the equipment and expertise to serve the wind industry in North America. Prior to the transport, our engineers prepare a complete route study, which prevents the transport from surprises and arrange required traffic control in certain positions. Experienced truck drivers and operators take care of almost 70 meter long windmill blades, and the additional 20 meter of truck and trailer parts. No matter how long the distance.

Roll-Lift

Transport according client wishes

Windmill blades and equipment

Windmill blades and equipment can be transported in many ways, according to the clients wishes. Normally windmill components, such as blades, nacelles and tower segments, are transported on general cargo ships. However, when a freight forwarder is looking for a Ro-Ro solution, RollDock offers a flush load deck and open hold and cargo can be placed on two levels.
But there is always also the option to lift windmill blades and equipment. RollDock recently finished the discharge of 36 windmill blades of 70 meters length, following an uneventful trip. The blades were stored in frames three layers high on the vessel’s tanktop. On the hatch covers, five more layers were placed. What made this shipment special though was the fly deck constructed from the vessel’s hatch cover pontoons – this allowed the vessel to stow the blades five rows wide. Smart engineering solutions resulting in a per blade costs saving for the client.