As awareness of climate change and the need for renewable energy production grows, wind farm construction is thriving and repowering is revitalizing older sites.
Repowering wind turbines requires the replacement of aging equipment with newer, larger, and more efficient generators with greater capacity. One such operation recently took place in central Iowa, with Emerson Crane Rental of Waterloo, Iowa, providing the cranes and expertise to make the upgrade a success.
“The Grove all-terrain crane performed flawlessly,” said John Emerson, Owner of Emerson Crane. “I’m proud of our team members at Emerson Crane for their work on the project.”
To remove and then reinstall a new rotor assembly and other components, which were trucked in from an out-of-state supplier, Emerson Crane brought in a Grove GMK6400 Crane and a Grove GRT8100-1 Crane, the latter obtained from Aspen Equipment’s Ankeny, Iowa, location. Additionally, the team employed telehandlers, light towers, swamp mats, and road improvement equipment.
Cole Lundeen, Territory Sales Manager for Aspen/MGX Equipment, has been working side by side with Emerson Crane to ensure the company is equipped with the right cranes for the job.
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“The opportunity to work with Emerson Crane has been fantastic. We have become great friends,” Lundeen said.
The heavy-duty, six-axle, all-terrain GMK6400 can lift up to 450 tons. It features up to a 259-foot luffing jib, in addition to the 197-foot main boom. Emerson Crane used the 100-ton Grove GRT8100-1 as a support crane to help assemble and remove jib extensions on the GMK6400 and as a tail crane to rotate the rotor to its final resting position on the ground.
Emerson Crane performed all of the lifting needs on this repower while working side by side with other contractors to swap out the components.
On this project, Emerson Crane’s Grove GMK6400’s largest lift was 70,000 pounds, 230 feet in the air at a 75-foot radius. This lift involved the removal of the rotor assembly, perhaps the most critical lift of any wind project.
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The crews began with hooking up a specially designed shackle on the rotor and connecting stabilization ropes to pickup trucks, so the rotor would not spin when lifted. Both cranes were then used to lower the rotor and rotate it 90 degrees to be stowed in the specially designed stand. The removal of the rotor allowed full access to all components on the turbine for service as needed.
Throughout the project, Emerson Crane and other members of the team needed to minimize any damage to crops adjacent to the turbine site. This was accomplished with mobilization schedules, lift plans, site evaluations, and road improvements, all performed by Emerson Crane.
At the end of the project, Emerson Crane dismantled the Grove GMK6400 into approximately 20 different pieces. Then the team hauled it off in nine semi-trucks.
It took the crews two weeks to repower the first of three turbines requiring rotor removal. The work also included upgrades to about 40 turbines in the local area. Road improvements, which included hauling in gravel, and then spreading and leveling it with a motor grader, will follow.
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Founded in 1995 with one crane, Emerson Crane has grown, extending its fleet and its reach. The company remains locally and family owned and is available 24 hours a day, seven days per week.
Emerson Crane and its experienced crews provide crane rental and transportation services for commercial, residential, industrial, and agricultural projects. The company is expanding its reach into the entire Midwest.
Safety remains a high priority for the company. Crews receive regular safety training and site-specific instructions, especially for sensitive jobs.
Emerson Cranes can supply cranes ranging from 30 tons to 450 tons and has the manpower to facilitate large projects including, but not limited to, wind energy construction and repower projects.
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Iowa’s farms provide an ideal location for wind turbines. As of 2020, more than 9 percent of power generated in the United States came from wind energy.
The Iowa Environmental Council in Des Moines reports that Iowa is a national leader in wind energy, producing more than 64 percent of its local electricity in 2023 with wind power. Wind energy supports nearly 4,000 jobs and provides landowners and local municipalities additional opportunities to generate revenue.
“Emerson Crane is proud to be a part of critical infrastructure projects,” Emerson said.
Enverus Intelligence Research of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and its Vice President Scott Wilmot reported earlier this year that repowering older wind projects is “gaining momentum.” The company explained that if repowering produces a 5 percent capacity gain, it is economically better to repower than build new. Additionally, projects more than 12 years old will experience a 10 percent to 20 percent capacity gain with a repower.
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“Given the status of the aging wind fleet and the turbine efficiency gains that have been achieved, we expect repowering momentum to continue in the U.S. going forward,” Wilmot said in a statement.
