TOA Corporation and Obayashi in Japan has contracted Huisman for the delivery of a state-of-the-art Monopile Gripper. The gripper allows TOA and Obayashi to upend and install monopiles without using a separate upending bucket, improving safety and efficiency of operations on board.
The Huisman Monopile Gripper will be the first of its kind to be used in Japan. The gripper will be installed on TOA and Obayashi’s self elevating platform (SEP), which is outfitted with a 1250-mt Huisman Pedestal Mounted Crane. This Huisman mission equipment will play a significant role in Japan’s transition towards a renewable future.
The gripper will be capable of handling monopiles of up to 8 metres in diameter, fully utilising the capacity of the SEP. Huisman has paid special attention to optimising the upending process, in which the gripper and crane control software communicate with each other to ensure the system – as a whole – operates within its limits.
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First monopile gripper contract in Japan
‘We are extremely honoured to be awarded our very first monopile gripper contract in Japan,’ says Timon Ligterink, commercial director Asia-Pacific. ‘This order is the result of our partnership with TOA Corporation and Obayashi, which we have developed over multiple years. Together with the Huisman-built crane, the gripper will allow safe upending and installation of monopiles in Japanese waters, accelerating the energy transition in the country.’
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