Both wind farms will boost the production of over 4.5 GW of clean energy in Europe, covering the needs of more than 5 million households in the United Kingdom and Germany.
For these works, Sarens has deployed its SGC-90 100% electric ring crane, belonging to its family of giant cranes, thus aligning onshore logistics with the sustainability of the offshore wind farms in which it is participating.
During these works, Sarens cranes face the lifting of monopiles weighing up to 1,744 tons, maneuvered through coordinated single lifts for direct loadouts as well as tandem lift alongside a Demag CC 2800-1 crane.
Sarens, world leader in heavy lifting, engineered transport and crane rental services, is leading the handling, lifting, and loading tasks of XXL monopiles for the Hornsea 3 (United Kingdom) and Nordlicht I and II (Germany) offshore wind farms. These tasks, carried out at Quay 10 of the Überseehafen in Rostock (Germany), are part of the logistical operations to supply two of the most ambitious offshore wind complexes in Europe, which will produce more than 4.5 GW of clean energy, enough to cover the needs of over 5 million households once commissioned.
For these works, carried out on behalf of EEW Special Pipe Constructions GmbH (EEW SPC), Sarens has deployed to Rostock its SGC-90 100% electric ring crane together with a Demag CC 2800-1 crawler crane unit. In this way, the Sarens team will tackle the lifting of monopiles weighing up to 1,744 tons in the case of those corresponding to Hornsea 3 -working in a coordinated tandem lift-, and up to 1,273 tons in the case of Nordlicht I and II through a single lift directly onto the transport vessels.
The use of the SGC-90 crane, also known as “Little Celeste”, at the port of Rostock reflects Sarens' environmental commitment. This model is the first 100% electric giant ring crane of its class, and it not only operates with zero direct CO2 emissions, but also features a pioneering energy recovery system capable of returning up to 40% of the energy generated during the descent of its loads back to the port's power grid. Its ultra-silent operation and the absence of polluting fluids guarantee clean port logistics, directly aligning with the sustainability goals of the Hornsea 3 and Nordlicht offshore wind farms.
The Hornsea 3 wind farm is located in the British sector of the North Sea, approximately 160 km off the coast of Yorkshire. With an approximate area of 696 km2, it will become the largest individual offshore wind farm in the world, and one of the main pillars of the British energy grid once opened in 2027. Thus, it will have an installed capacity of 2.9 GW, capable of supplying clean and uninterrupted energy to over 3.3 million households in the United Kingdom. For this, the installation of 231 Siemens Gamesa SG 14-236 DD turbines will be required, each with 14 MW of nominal capacity, mounted on monopiles of up to 1,744 tons and over 40 meters in height.
The Nordlicht I and II Offshore Wind Cluster, for its part, is located in Germany's Exclusive Economic Zone in the North Sea, 85 km off the island of Borkum. Its first phase covers about 52.6 km2, compared to 44 km2 for the second, and will have a total capacity of approximately 1.6 GW combined. In this way, it will be able to produce up to 6 TWh of clean electricity per year, supplying over 1.7 million households in Germany. In this case, it will feature a total of 112 Vestas V236 turbines of 15 MW each, mounted on monopiles of up to 1,273 tonnes.
In recent years, Sarens has consolidated its position as a strategic partner in the global offshore wind supply chain, standing out for its ability to manage complex heavy lifting and logistical tasks. Thus, the company has marked key milestones in major projects: in Rotterdam (Netherlands), Sarens completed a tandem operation using two of its largest ring cranes (SGC-120/1 and SGC-170) for component handling at the SIF facilities. Additionally, it led the transport, loading, and launch maneuver (load-out & float-off) of the 3,500-ton floating platforms for the Eolmed project in France, besides actively participating in floating turbine maintenance in Scotland (Hywind / Kincardine). Its presence also extends to the manufacturing phase of towers and components in logistical hubs such as Gdańsk (Poland), reinforcing its leadership in the transition toward zero-emission energy infrastructure.
About Sarens
Sarens is the global leader and reference in crane rental, heavy lift and engineered transportation services. With state-of-the-art equipment, value engineering, one of the world's largest inventories of cranes, transporters and special rigging equipment, Sarens offers creative and intelligent solutions to today's heavy lifting and engineering transport challenges.
With more than 100 entities in 75 countries operating without borders, Sarens is an ideal partner for small to large-scale projects. Sarens currently employs 6,500 highly qualified professionals who are ready to serve the needs of any client worldwide and in all market sectors. https://www.sarens.com/