The energy transition is a massive undertaking for many countries, as they shift their energy generation from fossil fuels to sustainable and socially compatible alternatives. The push for bigger, more powerful, and more efficient energy solutions is putting strain on infrastructure, legislation, and components themselves. As a result, the heavy haulage industry needs increasingly efficient solutions to transport larger and heavier loads to their destinations. Goldhofer, a reliable all-round partner for customers, is making its mark in the industry with its latest innovation.
“Goldhofer has always seen itself as a pioneer for innovative and sustainable transportation solutions, as in the case of the revolutionary FTV 300 wind turbine blade carrier. In the meantime, the FTV 850 represents the third generation of this efficient transportation solution. Tower adapters and the BLADES steerable trailing dolly round off Goldhofer’s specialized portfolio for the transportation of wind turbine components. With the large numbers of systems sold, we have proven that customers can rely on our solutions in the long term,” says Robert Steinhauser, Vice President Sales & Service Transport Technology at Goldhofer.
Goldhofer’s brand-new portfolio has already been field-tested and enables cable drums of any size to be transported more efficiently than ever before. Whereas the focus has primarily been on the development and upgrading of renewable energy plants, attention is now shifting to downstream processes. New transmission lines and grids need to be built, and the energy generated is being fed into increasingly intelligent networks for transmission to the end consumer. The construction of these smart grids is a significant logistical challenge, with the backbone of the new electricity highways being cables approximately 150 mm in diameter and up to two kilometers long, transported on huge cable drums.
The cable drums currently used for this purpose are three to five meters long and over four meters in diameter, weighing between 30 and 50 tons. They allow for cable lengths of about 1 km. For new projects such as the German South Link and South-East Link, cable drums with a length of approximately eight to twelve meters and weighing up to 100 t need to be transported. They are the key to cable lengths of up to two kilometers. However, unreeling and pulling in the cables is a particular challenge, and this task can rarely be performed as part of the actual transport in a single operation using existing solutions. This means significantly higher costs for transportation, unreeling equipment, and relevant permits.
To address this challenge, Goldhofer has collaborated with Energieanlagen Ramonat GmbH to develop a broad portfolio of solutions for transporting cable drums of different weights and sizes. The system includes integrated unreeling equipment with synchronized drive for jerk-free operation at the destination, allowing for more efficient and cost-effective transport. The cable drum is transported on a special vessel deck in a Goldhofer heavy-duty (4+6) or (5+7) module combination. The bridge can be raised to loading area height under full load, significantly reducing overall length for increased maneuverability on all types of construction sites, especially in combination with self-propelled modules.
Goldhofer’s solution is also compatible with existing transport systems, with the help of an adapter that can be retrofitted to Goldhofer vessel bridges in the customer’s fleet for a significant reduction in capital layout. Additionally, Goldhofer has started developing solutions for cable drums of lower weights and sizes, involving the installation of unreeling equipment on low-bed vessel bridges.
In developing this portfolio, Goldhofer has placed great importance on ensuring that the right solution is always available to customers, regardless of the size of the fleet and the number of cable drums to be transported. This allows customers to contribute to grid expansion programs with unprecedented efficiency and cost-effectiveness and make a decisive contribution to the success of the energy transition. Goldhofer has always seen itself as a pioneer for innovative and sustainable transportation solutions, and its latest portfolio is a testament to this commitment.
