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DEME has been awarded two contracts1 for the transport and installation of 112 foundations at the Nordlicht 1 and 2 offshore wind farms in Germany.

Additionally, DEME also secured the contract for the scour protection at both wind farms.

The Nordlicht wind farm zone, 85 km north of Borkum in the German North Sea, comprises two sites: Nordlicht 1 (980 MW) and Nordlicht 2 (630 MW). Vattenfall is developing and building the Nordlicht cluster, with BASF as a key partner owning 49% of the projects. The wind farm zone is set to provide clean energy for 1.7 million households, as well as German industries.

While the contract remains subject to the final investment decision, Vattenfall held a signing ceremony officially allocating the various scope components to the contractors involved. The construction of Nordlicht 1 and 2 is scheduled to start in 2026. The wind farms are expected to be fully operational in 2028. DEME will install 68 foundations and scour protection at Nordlicht 1 in 2026, followed by 44 foundations and scour protection at Nordlicht 2 in the following year.

Several vessels will be deployed including DEME’s offshore installation vessel ‘Orion’, a jack-up vessel and a fallpipe vessel for the scour protection. With its high-tech motion compensated pile gripper in combination with its 5,000-ton crane, ‘Orion’ is able to install the largest foundations efficiently, even in harsh weather conditions. Orion’s unmatched offshore wind capabilities are proven by installing over 120 monopiles in the US and UK in 2024 alone.

Bas Nekeman, Business Unit Director North Europe, said: “We are very proud that Vattenfall and BASF have placed their trust in us to deliver this flagship project, which is set to play a significant role in the energy transition. We look forward to collaborating with Vattenfall and BASF, whose clear commitment to driving the transition to sustainable energy aligns well with DEME’s ongoing efforts to offer innovative solutions for the evolving energy landscape.”

Cyril Moss, Executive Project Director for Nordlicht 1 at Vattenfall: “DEME’s proven expertise in German waters and their advanced installation capabilities give us full confidence in the safe and timely completion of the Nordlicht foundations. This collaboration is key to delivering reliable, renewable energy to millions of households.”

DEME has an extensive track record in German waters, both in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. In the Baltic, DEME’s expertise includes projects such as Arcadis Ost, which marked the maiden voyage of ‘Orion’ in 2022. In the North Sea, DEME contributed to numerous projects, including Kaskasi, Merkur, Hohe See, Albatros, Godewind I and II and Borkum Riffgrund I and II.

1 The combined contracts are valued at over 300 million euro.

Additionally, the successful installation of Vattenfall’s Vesterhav project in the Danish North Sea, just a few hundred kilometers north of the Nordlicht offshore site, further underscores DEME’s capabilities to deliver major offshore wind projects.

WALLENIUS SOL have once again received the Class 5 ranking in the Clean Shipping Index (CSI), the highest classification for environmentally responsible shipping.

FOR THE SECOND consecutive year, the sister vessels Botnia Enabler and Baltic Enabler have been listed among the verified top-performing vessels, holding a Clean Shipping Index (CSI) 5 rating.

The Clean Shipping Index is an independent rating system that evaluates vessels on their environmental performance. Factors such as greenhouse gas emissions, waste management, and pollution control are assessed to promote sustainable practices in the maritime industry. Class 5 is the top grade in the index, given to vessels that meet the highest standards in emissions reduction, waste handling, and sustainable operations.

“Being one of the few RoRo vessels to achieve this high ranking within the Clean Shipping Index is a strong confirmation that we are doing the right things,” says Rebecca Tagaeus, Sustainability Manger, WALLENIUS SOL.

A top rating not only reinforces WALLENIUS SOL’s commitment to sustainable shipping but also comes with tangible benefits, such as reduced fairway dues.

“These savings allow us to reinvest in our fleet, continuously improving our environmental performance. The Class 5 ranking assures our customers that they will gain real value when choosing transport partners committed to advanced technology and energy efficiency.”

Marcel Meyer will take over the management of Rhenus Port Transport from Thomas Maassen on 1 May 2025 within the Port Logistics division.

In his current role as CFO Port Logistics, he has already actively shaped the growth course and internationalization of the division. The generational change in the Port Transport management sets the course for further growth and internationalization of Rhenus Port Logistics.

Since 2023, Marcel Meyer has been responsible for the finance department of the Port Logistics division and shares responsibility for the LBH Group, which was acquired in 2023. Before that, he held various positions within Rhenus since 2018 – at group level, he headed controlling, among other things, and built up the M&A department in its current form. The graduate economist started his career in 2008 at Deloitte and subsequently held senior positions at RWE and innogy. In his new role, Marcel Meyer reports directly to the Division Head Michael de Reese.

At the same time, Philip Tomaskowicz will take over the management of the inland navigation department within Port Transport, as the current Managing Director Dirk Gemmer will retire at the end of 2025. After his training as an economist and his studies, Philip Tomaskowicz started his career at INTRAHA Reederei-Kontor in 2005 and joined the Rhenus Group as Head of Shipping at Rhenus Partnership in 2017. In 2023, he became Managing Director of Rhenus Partnership within the inland navigation department.

As a motive for the reorganization of the Rhenus Transport management team, Michael de Reese comments: “This generational change sets strategic impulses for our further growth course. Marcel Meyer brings a high level of expertise in finance, strategy, and M&A, which is excellently complemented by Philip Tomaskowicz’s deep understanding of the industry and the market environment. I am sure that the two will significantly shape and design the future course of Rhenus. On behalf of Rhenus Port Logistics, I would like to express my gratitude to Thomas Maassen and Dirk Gemmer for their long-standing successful work and their influence, which have significantly contributed to our success and the development of the inland shipping industry.”

Marcel Meyer primarily sets this as his goal: “Not only as an industry, but also as Rhenus in Europe, we are facing a transformation. This will not only affect our own locations and our fleet, but also new technology, types of goods, and markets. While, over the last century, we have proven and will continue to prove our strength in Europe, we want to expand our business knowledge and expertise worldwide and apply it to international flows of goods.”

Thomas Maassen and Dirk Gemmer, who hold additional offices in some industry associations, committees, and investment companies in addition to their management activities, will continue to carry these for the time being.

Norsepower are pleased to announce the successful installation of one Norsepower Rotor Sail onboard the bulk carrier Yodohime (completed in February 2016), which was decided by IINO Kaiun Kaisha, Ltd. (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Yusuke Otani; hereinafter “IINO LINES”) and Electric Power Development Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director President: Hitoshi Kanno; hereinafter “J-POWER”) manufactured by Norsepower Oy Ltd. (Head Office: Finland; CEO: Heikki Pöntynen; hereinafter “Norsepower”).

The installation work was carried out at a dockyard in December 2024, and the first voyage after the installation was successfully completed this month.

The 24m x 4m Norsepower Rotor Sail is a wind propulsion system which was installed on the forecastle deck of the vessel. It utilizes the latest AI technology to automatically control the rotation, direction, and speed of the rotor sail using real-time meteorological information, such as wind direction and wind speed, detected by sensors.

The Magnus effect generated when wind meets the rotating cylindrical sail produces a powerful thrust which, in combination with the voyage optimization system, is expected to reduce fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions by approximately 6-10%.

The Central Oceans team in Indonesia and Singapore assisted with the loading of the first shipment for a windmill project in Europe, one of a total of four shipments.

They loaded the first full ship with windmill tower sections and their port captain ensured the units were safely lashed to the customers requirements.

As the world is looking to transit to cleaner energy sources, wind energy is proving to be one of the most economical electricity sources for many regions in the world. As the world works toward renewable energy, Central Oceans support the global players in wind turbine manufacturing with their effort to bring about the energy transition.

Bertling are pleased to share that in December, Bertling Logistics Singapore, in collaboration with their teams in Bremen and Shanghai, successfully managed the transport of heavy equipment for one of their key account clients.

This shipment included separators, transported from Antwerp to Tianjin, with the heaviest piece weighing 200 tons. The dimensions were 2140 x 505 x 508 cm (200.3 tons) and 1900 x 450 x 448 cm (146.35 tons). Total cargo: approximately 450 MT / 950 m³.

The operation wasn’t without its challenges. Road permit applications caused delays, and a temporary lock closure required re-routing through France. But thanks to careful planning, the equipment reached Antwerp in time for the heavy lift vessel’s laycan.

Bertling extend their gratitude to everyone involved for their dedicated coordination and follow-up in making this shipment a success.

Huisman has been awarded a contract from Penta-Ocean Construction Co. Ltd. to deliver a 5,000mt Tub Mounted Crane along with a monopile handling system, including a Motion Compensated Pile Gripper.

Developed collaboratively with Penta-Ocean Construction and vessel designer Ulstein, this innovative equipment concept seamlessly integrates the crane and handling tools into Penta-Ocean Construction’s new heavy lift vessel. Designed for the Japanese offshore wind market, this vessel will be the world’s first fully integrated heavy lift vessel, offering one of the highest lifting capacities globally.

Its 5,000mt active heave-compensated Tub Mounted Crane features a dual main hoist and Universal Quick Connector, enabling efficient, safe tool changes to reduce cycle time and safety risks. Key advantages of the low weight Huisman Tub Mounted Crane include a compact tail swing for deck space optimisation, no counterweight, full revolving capacity, and an in-house produced slew bearing.

The Motion Compensated Pile Gripper is specifically designed for the installation of large-diameter, variable-length monopiles over the vessel’s unique U-shaped stern. With the monopiles being stored lengthwise on the vessel, the integrated upending system enables direct handling from storage to installation. These features minimise lifting operations, while the aft installation method enhances shielding, improving the vessel’s workability and operational efficiency.

With this contract, Huisman strengthens its position as market leader in heavy lift cranes and Motion Compensated Pile Grippers, marking the fourth contract for such motion compensation system, enabling safe monopile installation from floating vessels.

Tetsunori Ohshimo, Senior Managing Executive Officer, Head of the Offshore Wind Construction Business Divisions Group of Penta-Ocean Construction: “We are proud to finalise the contract with Huisman for the development of a 5,000mt fully revolving crane and a monopile handling system to be installed on the advanced heavy lift vessel. The vessel, equipped with an innovative crane system, is essential for installing the increasingly heavy monopile foundations required for larger wind turbines. We are confident that Huisman’s heavy lift and installation technology will make a significant contribution to the development of offshore wind in Japan.”

Timon Ligterink, Commercial Director APAC of Huisman: “We are honoured to be awarded this prestigious contract, which celebrates the incredible collaboration between Penta-Ocean Construction, Ulstein, and Huisman. Working together, we have created fully integrated equipment for this groundbreaking, next-generation heavy lift vessel. This partnership exemplifies what can be achieved through shared vision and innovation, and we are committed to advancing the future of heavy lift and installation technology in Japan.”

The partnership with Penta-Ocean represents Huisman’s entry to the Japanese market. Previous deliveries include an 800mt Pedestal Mounted Crane for the CP-8001 SEP and a 1,600mt Leg Encircling Crane for the CP-16001, reinforcing Huisman’s commitment to advanced lifting solutions in the region.

Sarens successfully completed the assembly of two barge cranes at the Port of Limburg in Genk, Belgium.

The project, carried out between August 13th and September 24th, 2024, was part of the redevelopment of a former Ford manufacturing site and is expected to boost the local economy while creating new jobs in the region. Commissioned by Künz for LDM, the work underscores Sarens’ role in providing crucial infrastructure to support industrial growth.

The scope of the project involved the assembly of two large barge cranes, with Sarens utilizing its advanced equipment, including the LTM1150, LTM1300, 2 x LTM1350, and AC700 cranes. Sarens was selected due to its proven expertise and previous successful collaborations with Künz, as well as its ability to offer superior technical solutions compared to competitors.

The project presented several challenges, particularly in terms of limited space on-site. However, thanks to the meticulous planning led by Project Engineer Wietse Dockx and the flawless execution overseen by Lifting Supervisor Michel Kreikaard, the assembly proceeded smoothly. The cranes successfully lifted components weighing up to 195 tons, showcasing Sarens’ ability to manage complex operations with precision.

Sarens utilized mobile cranes to ensure ease of transport and efficient setup, which took one day. The project involved a team of 11 crane operators, 10 transport personnel, and a dedicated supervisor, all working in close coordination. Their expertise was instrumental in overcoming the logistical constraints of the site and ensuring the cranes were assembled on time and within the project’s budget.

The successful assembly of these barge cranes marks an important milestone in the development of the new quay port infrastructure, which will support the industrial revitalization of the region. This project is expected to have a lasting impact on the local economy, creating new job opportunities and attracting future investments.

Sarens is pleased to have contributed to this significant project and looks forward to continuing its collaboration with Künz in the future.

Kalmar has delivered four Kalmar electric reachstackers to Norwegian port operator Westport AS, as part of their ongoing collaboration to advance sustainable port operations.

The repeat order was booked in Kalmar’s Q2 2024 order intake, and delivery took place in Q4 2024 at Westport’s new terminal in the Port of Moss in Norway. The order includes a 7-year Kalmar Complete Care service agreement, ensuring tailored maintenance for maximum operational efficiency. Kalmar has delivered an electric reachstacker to Westport in 2022.

Kristian Løvaas, CEO of Westport, said: “Kalmar’s electric reachstackers are an integral part of our strategy to lead the green transition in the port and terminal industry. With this important investment, we’re taking another significant step toward our goal of decarbonising our operations by 2030. Moreover, the new equipment will significantly reduce for example the noise levels that have previously posed challenges. For our employees, the lower noise and vibration mean a more comfortable and less demanding workload. Additionally, the overall safety of our terminal workers will be enhanced, as the reduction in constant noise fosters a calmer and more focused operational environment.”

Bredo Steen-Gundersen, Country Director, Kalmar Norway AS, said: “Kalmar and Westport share a commitment to safe and sustainable cargo handling. This repeat order is a testament to Westport’s confidence in our electric solutions. We are pleased to continue our long-standing partnership with a customer who shares our strong commitment to building a more sustainable future.”

Peter Olsson, VP Global Sales, Counter Balanced, Kalmar, said: “Our collaboration with Westport is a great example of how the port industry can adopt sustainable practices without compromising efficiency. These additional units highlight our shared vision to drive decarbonisation and lay the groundwork for a sustainable future. We’re proud to continue supporting Westport’s leadership in embracing electric material handling and adopting innovative technologies that align with ambitious sustainability targets.”

Marr Contracting (Marr) have released a safety video highlighting the importance of daily pre-start inspections on cranes and rigging equipment by crane operators and dogmen.

Endorsed by of the Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA); the video is targeted not just at crane operators and dogmen working on Marr’s cranes, but the broader industry including site supervisors, crane coordinators, and project managers.

Citing the analogy of airline pilots doing pre-flight checks of aircraft before every flight, Marr’s Managing Director, Simon Marr said, “Pre-start inspections of cranes and rigging prior to commencing work is the most safety-critical task crane operators are expected to do every day. It’s not just important, but a legal responsibility that comes with a high risk work licence.”

“We work in a high-risk environment and people’s lives are in our hands every day.There needs to be more respect for lifting operations, particularly crane activities, on projects – because when it comes to site safety, we’re all in it together,” Mr Marr said.

Marr is encouraging all crane operators, site managers and owners to share the video with their teams and adopt CICA’s StartSafe® for pre-start inspections.

Understanding the benefit of using technology to make daily pre-start inspections simpler, more relevant and instantly available to those responsible for the safe operation of cranes on project sites; Marr has been working with CICA for more than 12 months to refine the StartSafe® app for application to its unique fleet of tower cranes. Marr has subsequently become the first tower crane owner and operator to adopt the use of StartSafe® for rollout across all cranes in its fleet, both in Australia and globally.

“As an industry, we need to shift the focus from ‘is the crane ready to operate?’ to ‘is the crane safe to start lifting operations?’ The StartSafe® app helps us ensure that all crane operators have an easy-to-use tool that assists them in conducting daily pre-start inspections that is not just a ‘tick and flick’ exercise,” Mr Marr said.

With the benefit of being tailored not only to the make and model, but a specific crane, StartSafe® is revolutionising pre-start inspections for crane owners and operators. Making pre-start checklists accessible on iOS and Android devices, the mobile app puts seamless digital reporting, photographic proof of condition and instant notification of faulty items to maintenance teams in the palm of crane operators’ hands.

Acknowledging Marr’s leadership on the issue, the Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA) CEO, Brandon Hitch, said, “Marr is the first company to mandate StartSafe on a large scale across a fleet, and we want to recognise that proactive commitment to safety which is so important to both our industry and to CICA as an industry body.”

PCN Members EZ Link and Gebruder Weiss are glad to report their coordinated handling of cargo from Austria to Taiwan.

The cargo in question was received under ex-works in Austria, before being delivered to Gangshan City in Taiwan via Kaohsiung Port.

Gebruder Weiss performed their tailor-made service in choosing three 40′ HQ containers for the cargo to be loaded at Bremerhaven Port in Germany, and four pieces of OOG cargo at Antwerpen.

Route surveys were conducted at both the loading on/off sites in advance, and arrangements for a specialised truck were made for loading the cargo onto a low bed trailer.

Road permits were required for the inland haulage portion of this project due to the cargo’s width and height. Measurements can be found below: 5.66 (L) x 3.91 (W) x 3.57 (H) meters – 7,200 kg; 6.23 (L) x 5.64 (W) x 2.22 (H) meters – 6,490 kg; 3.86 (L) x 3.44 (W) x 4.41 (H) meters – 16,900 kg; 2.98 (L) x 2.51 (W) x 1.31 (H) meters – 13,400 kg.

As per feedback and the great cooperation between Gebruder Weiss and EZ Link, the clients in Austria & Taiwan were satisfied with a ‘timely and reliable service’.

Rhenus Warehousing Solutions is intensifying its long-standing cooperation with Blue Yonder, the world leader in digital supply chain transformations, to drive forward its global standardization.

As part of this extended partnership, Blue Yonder Warehouse Management will gradually be implemented in Rhenus warehouses worldwide, in order to create a uniform, more efficient and more flexible IT landscape in the long term. At more than 180 sites in over 20 countries, customers already benefit from tailor-made warehousing solutions and fulfilment services, which will be further strengthened and standardized as a result of this partnership.

As part of the partnership, Rhenus will implement Blue Yonder Warehouse Management, an interoperable and configurable solution, globally. This will enable the company to implement and realize specific customer requirements worldwide quickly and efficiently. The ability to configure the Blue Yonder Warehouse Management modules in-house greatly reduces the need for completely new developments and allows for optimal use of resources across countries.

“With the global expansion of Blue Yonder, we are creating a robust and flexible foundation for the future of our warehouse management. This not only strengthens our competitiveness, but also enables us to respond to the individual needs of our customers worldwide. This partnership marks an important step in further expanding our position in an increasingly global competitive environment and underlines our commitment to accelerating the connection to customer systems and thus optimizing implementation processes,” says Ronny Sassen, CEO of Rhenus Warehousing Solutions.

A central aspect of the partnership is the establishment of a Blue Yonder competence center. Preconfigured modules for various industries will be developed here to accelerate the implementation process and support the global introduction of Blue Yonder Warehouse Management. The initial implementation project illustrated the progress of the collaboration and contributed significantly to the effective introduction of a global, standardized and flexible warehouse management solution.

The partnership between Rhenus and Blue Yonder provides for a long-term collaboration with the aim of gradually ensuring the global availability of Blue Yonder Warehouse Management. This approach will enable Rhenus to build a consistent and scalable IT infrastructure that meets both current and future requirements. “With Blue Yonder, we are building an IT infrastructure that optimizes our global business processes while ensuring the security and performance of our systems. By harmonizing this infrastructure, we are strengthening cooperation between all our sites and offering our business partners a reliable basis for their core business,” explains Markus Sandbrink, Chief Information Officer of the Rhenus Group.

Nafe Hagen, general manager, Global Logistics Service Provider and Edge Technologies, Blue Yonder. added: “Expanding our relationship with Rhenus to include warehousing is an important step in jointly developing innovative and scalable supply chain solutions. Our technology will support Rhenus’ security and performance needs as they look to deploy our solutions globally.”

CS Wind Portugal has once again chosen the SPMT from TII SCHEUERLE.

In particular, the high product quality of the module transporters and the reliable support provided by the experts at the industry expert for heavy-duty transport on and off-road from the TII Group once more convinced the specialist for wind tower construction.

If a vehicle manufacturer exceeds the high expectations placed on it, the customer is satisfied and purchases again. CS Wind Portugal, the internationally active manufacturer of wind towers and monopiles for offshore wind turbines, can testify to this. The subsidiary of the renewable energy specialist with headquarters in South Korea has once again decided to purchase additional SPMTs from TII SCHEUERLE, the industry expert for heavy-duty transport on and off-road assignments, which is also a member of the TII Group.

“We have once more chosen the SPMT from TII SCHEUERLE because of its proven product quality and the reliable support provided by the TII SCHEUERLE specialists,” explained Ruben Gomes, R&D Manager at CS Wind Portugal. According to CS Wind Portugal, the entire TII SCHEUERLE team exceeded expectations in both service and product performance, thus confirming the decision to continue working together with TII SCHEUERLE. “Our industry requires a high degree of precision and reliability. The SCHEUERLE SPMT, combined with the vehicle manufacturer’s professional training, gives us the tools to deliver a top performance every time in the field of wind energy,” said Gomes. The self-propelled module transporters will now be used at the Gafanha da Nazarè site for transporting wind turbine components.

SCHEUERLE SPMTs are an important part of the energy transition process. In order to move energy production away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energies, large components are required that have to be transported to their place of use: rotor blades, wind tower segments, nacelles, tripods, monopiles and power plant modules with individual weights ranging from several hundred to several thousand tonnes. SPMTs from TII SCHEUERLE help to master this task.

The modularity and combinability of the SPMT axle lines thus facilitate flexible adaptation of the platform vehicles in order to suit the respective payload requirements. The diverse possibilities of coupling SPMT axle lines mechanically or electronically in a loose coupling mode allow a theoretically unlimited payload. SPMTs from TII SCHEUERLE currently hold the world record for the heaviest transport with a total weight of 23,163 tonnes.

The Worldwide Project Consortium (WWPC) are pleased to confirm the country exclusive membership for Uzbekistan for Hareket Heavy Lifting and Project Transportation Co. FE. LLC, effective immediately.

The company office in Tashkent is staffed with 21 people, supported in the region by additional project teams.