The wind turbine installation vessel Brave Tern is wrapping up a big upgrade project at the Navantia Ferrol shipyard, but has run into a hitch. During the last stages of final testing, it appears to have knocked over a 25-tonne crane on the quayside.
Brave Tern is a jackup WTIV built in 2012, when turbines were much smaller than today. To get ready for a market with ever-growing nacelles and blades, operator Fred. Olsen Windcarrier contracted with Navantia to give the ship a major upgrade. Brave Tern received a new crane rated at 1,600 tonnes, with enough reach to install turbines of 15 MW-plus capacity.
At about 0800 on Saturday morning, Brave Tern prepared to get under way from the quay at Navantia Ferrol. While pulling away from the pier, the Tern's gigantic boom hung up on one of the quay's mobile cranes, tipping it over onto a small barge. Miraculously, the crane cab and pedestal base remained out of the water, and no one was injured. The vessel returned to the pier after a brief period at anchor, and she remained alongside as of Tuesday morning.
Navantia executive Carlos Diaz told local paper La Voz de Galicia that a "calculation error in the maneuver" was responsible, not wind or any other factors. The company emphasized that the situation was contained and did not pose any further risk to life or property.
Salvage plans for the toppled crane have not yet been announced, but a vessel with abundant heavy-lift capacity - Brave Tern - is located nearby if a hoist is needed.
