Palfinger davits for East Anglia Two: standardised lifting notes for engineers
Reviewed by Joe Ashwell
First reported on The Construction Index
30 Second Briefing
Smulders will fit Palfinger PF 160-5m marine davit cranes to 64 turbines under construction for ScottishPower Renewables’ 960 MW East Anglia Two offshore wind farm off the Suffolk coast, to handle materials and support maintenance on turbine platforms. The fabricator has already ordered 96 identical units for the adjacent East Anglia Three project, with the two farms together expected to power about 2.25 million homes. For offshore contractors, standardising crane types across both sites should simplify lifting procedures, spares, and lifecycle service planning.
Technical Brief
- PF 160-5m davits are specified as marine-environment cranes for turbine platform service conditions.
- Units are configured for on-platform material handling, routine maintenance and unscheduled service interventions.
- Smulders is responsible for integrating the davits into turbine platform fabrication and assembly workflows.
- Palfinger’s scope is framed around lifecycle support, with cranes intended to remain in service for decades.
- Standardised davit selection across East Anglia projects simplifies offshore lifting method statements and operator training.
- Common crane type reduces spares inventory offshore, easing logistics for hydraulic, winch and control components.
- Palfinger positions offshore wind as a central marine business segment, aligning product development with turbine O&M needs.
Our Take
Palfinger’s role on the East Anglia Two and Three projects comes as the company is also expanding its UK footprint via new distribution arrangements for aerial work platforms and construction machinery support, suggesting it is positioning for a larger share of offshore and coastal infrastructure work in the United Kingdom.
With 64 turbines at East Anglia Two and a 960 MW rating, the choice of standardised PF 160-5m davits across foundations indicates a maintenance strategy built around repeatable lifting envelopes, which should simplify spares, training, and inspection regimes for ScottishPower Renewables’ O&M contractors in Suffolk.
The 96-crane order for East Anglia Three, alongside Palfinger’s separate technology collaboration with Icon on robotic construction systems, signals that the company is leveraging its lifting portfolio both in serial offshore wind builds and in emerging automated construction niches, rather than relying solely on traditional crane markets.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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