Nabrawind launches a system to install the complete wind turbine in wind speeds of up to 15 m/s
Skylift is the evolution of the self-erecting system already validated in hybrid towers for use with tubular towers and the BladeRunner, a system for installing rotors without the need for cranes except for auxiliary movements.
Nabrawind has announced the commercialisation of Skylift, a new system that allows the installation of the nacelle, the rotor and the tubular wind turbine tower itself in wind conditions of up to 15 m/s, without the need to use cranes except for handling parts on the ground and with no tower height limit.
The system developed by Nabrawind combines the self-erecting system validated for its Nabralift tower with another of its products, the Bladerunner, a system that allows the installation of rotors and does not require cranes. Both systems can operate at wind speeds of up to 15 m/s, above which they can no longer be operated for other reasons.
Operation of Skylift
The operation of Skylift is simple and only requires a slight modification to the flanges of the tubular tower. Like the Nabralift self-erecting system, it also does not require ground anchoring and its bases are simply supported on compacted soil.
The wind turbine foundation is installed first. Skylift is compatible with any of the traditional foundations used in the wind industry as it does not rely on them to operate.
The next step is the assembly of the self-supporting system. This is a simple and quick process. The entire system is transported in just 16 lorries (compared to the 40+ that a main crawler crane usually requires) and assembly at the first position in the wind farm is completed in six days.
Subsequently, the self-erecting system installs the nacelle and tower. In this order. The only auxiliary support cranes required during the process are of a tonnage equal to or less than 200 tonnes.
Once the nacelle and tower are installed, the BladeRunner system installs the rotor without the need for any crane.
The total installation time for a wind turbine using this system is one week, rotor included.
Advantages of Skylift
The main advantage of Skylift lies in its ability to operate in high wind conditions, thus significantly extending the installation window. This is a very relevant point mainly in relation to green hydrogen mega-projects, which are being planned in areas with high average speeds and whose installation rate is limited precisely by those same winds that drastically shorten the installation window of turbines with conventional means.
Other advantages of the system lie in its ability to operate without cranes, its reduced logistics, the pace of installation and its compatibility with the Nabralift tower or the Nabrabase foundation. Also developed by Nabrawind, it reduces concrete consumption by up to 80% with an installation rate of 1 week per wind turbine, drastically reducing both the construction time of the wind farm and CO2 emissions during the installation process.
Market entry
The reception of Skylift in the wind industry has been excellent and Nabrawind expects to close the first Skylift related contracts in the first half of 2023,
Eneko Sola, commercial director of Nabrawind, said that “the market response to Skylift has far exceeded our expectations”. In this sense, Sola indicated that “we had identified a clear market niche, such as green hydrogen or countries where there is a shortage of cranes or where their cost is very high and where, consequently, Skylift can play a very relevant enabling role”.
In a similar vein, Ion Arocena, CTO of Nabrawind, has stated that Skylift, “although it is a new system on the market, the self-piercing system has already been successfully tested in conditions of up to 15 m/s, while for the BladeRunner the complement has just been patented with which to go from the 10 m/s of the current system to the 15 m/s required in this new market”.
About Nabrawind Technologies
Nabrawind Technologies S.L. is a Navarre-based company founded in 2015 with the aim of developing, manufacturing and commercialising advanced wind technologies.Since then, Nabrawind has introduced several innovative products to the market: Nabrajoint, Nabralift, Nabrabase and BladeRunner.Nabrajoint consists of a modular blade joint compatible with any blade and whose assembly can be carried out at the foot of the wind turbine in a short period of time.
Nabralift is a self-erecting tower that can reach a height of 200 metres without the need for large cranes. providing a minimum LCOE and breaking down logistical and installation barriers.Nabrabase is a foundation solution for complex soils (very hard or very soft) and markets with a shortage of concrete or high labour costs. The tripod structure allows massive gravity foundations to be split into deep foundations with concrete reductions of up to 80 %.
Finally, BladeRunner is a new crane-free blade installation and removal system that reduces the cost of blade replacement by up to 70% compared to conventional maintenance operations.
Contact person: Miguel Turullols
Position: Marketing & Communication
Email: mturullols@nabrawind.com
Phone: 670431569