ST3 Lifts Wind Farm Jacket Foundations with Modulift Spreader Beams
Modulift supplied a specialist spreader beam configuration to support the lifting of 20 offshore wind farm jacket foundations at ST3 Offshore’s dockside facility in Szczecin, Poland. The project formed part of the construction of the Borkum Riffgrund 2 offshore wind farm, with the completed foundations transported by barge to Cuxhaven before installation offshore.
Working alongside ST3 Offshore and Schmidbauer GmbH & Co. KG, Modulift provided an engineered lifting solution capable of handling some of the largest offshore wind foundation components in Europe. The project demonstrated how modular spreader beam systems can be configured to safely manage extremely heavy and complex offshore loads.
Project Challenges in Offshore Wind Foundation Lifting
The construction of offshore wind farms requires the safe handling of exceptionally large fabricated structures. Jacket foundations present several lifting challenges due to their height, weight and complex geometry, while dockside loadout operations demand careful planning to ensure components can be transferred safely onto transport vessels.
For this project, each jacket foundation weighed approximately 700 tonnes and stood 52 metres high. The structures were lifted in their entirety onto a barge capable of transporting three foundations at a time before being shipped for offshore installation.
The combination of large loads, multiple crane hooks and complex rigging geometry required a custom lifting arrangement that could maintain stability throughout every stage of the operation.
Equipment Used for the Project
To support the lifting operation, Modulift supplied two MOD® 400/600 spreader beams, each configured at 8 metres in length. The beams were installed in an inverted configuration above a MOD® 800/1000 spreader beam, which was supplied by Schmidbauer GmbH & Co. KG.
The lifting arrangement also incorporated shackles, delta plates, slings and specialist rigging components beneath the hooks of a 117-metre-high, 1,400-tonne capacity rail-mounted gantry crane.
This engineered configuration enabled ST3 Offshore to safely load twenty jacket foundations onto transport vessels while maintaining precise control of each lift.
Spivey added:
“Modulift spreader beams are put into compression when loaded so another beam wouldn’t have been suitable at the bottom of the rig between the delta plates because the forces applied are tensile rather than compressive. A wire rope grommet acted as a tie sling between the delta plates and created the vertical sling angle for the bottommost slings in the rig.”
ST3’s facility is specifically designed for the production of transition pieces, jacket foundations and offshore wind foundation components and other large fabricated structures. In this case, the jacket foundations were assembled at their destination with 10m-high suction buckets, used to anchor the structures. Water was pumped out of the buckets to lower pressure and combined with the weight of the foundation, the structures sunk to the sea floor.
At the time of writing, the first phase of loadout remains ongoing. The rig will stay in Szczecin for the duration of the project. A different lifting and rigging solution will take the weight of offload and installation at Borkum, which is one of the largest offshore power plants in Germany, with a capacity of 450MW, expected to supply electricity to nearly 500,000 households per year.
Spivey concluded:
“It has been fascinating to spend time at the Szczecin site and work with the great team there to consult on this below-the-hook application. The inverted solution was an effective way to utilise the four hoists on the crane and further innovation was demonstrated by the delta plates further down the rig.”
“We are continuing to welcome greater demand from the wind energy sector and look forward to meeting many more challenges in the future.
Why a Modular Spreader Beam Configuration Was the Right Solution
Offshore wind foundation projects often require lifting systems that can accommodate extremely high loads while maintaining controlled load distribution across multiple lifting points.
The Modulift configuration offered several important advantages:
- Even load distribution across multiple crane hooks
- Greater lifting stability for oversized structures
- Flexible rigging arrangements
- Adaptability for complex lifting geometries
- Reusable beam components for future offshore projects
The inverted beam arrangement also enabled the rigging system to achieve the required lifting geometry while efficiently transferring loads throughout the configuration.
Supporting Complex Offshore Wind Loadout Operations
Loadout operations are a critical stage in offshore wind construction. Before installation at sea, large foundations must be safely transferred from fabrication yards onto transport barges while maintaining structural integrity and operational efficiency.
Modular lifting systems support these operations by:
- Accommodating oversized fabricated structures
- Providing adaptable lifting configurations
- Supporting multiple lifting points
- Improving stability during dockside operations
- Reducing the need for custom engineered lifting equipment
As offshore wind projects continue to increase in scale, engineered lifting systems play an increasingly important role in supporting safe and efficient project delivery.
Technical Lift Configuration Used on the Project
| Specification | Project Detail |
| Project | Borkum Riffgrund 2 Offshore Wind Farm |
| Fabrication Facility | ST3 Offshore, Szczecin, Poland |
| Jacket Foundation Weight | Approximately 700 tonnes each |
| Jacket Foundation Height | 52 metres |
| Top Beam Configuration | Two MOD® 400/600 spreader beams |
| Lower Beam Configuration | MOD® 800/1000 spreader beam |
| Lift Arrangement | Inverted beam configuration |
| Crane | 1,400-tonne rail-mounted gantry crane |
| Project Partners | ST3 Offshore and Schmidbauer GmbH & Co. KG |
This lifting configuration enabled the project team to safely load twenty jacket foundations for transportation and offshore installation.
Planning an Offshore Wind Lifting Project?
Offshore wind developments demand lifting solutions capable of handling some of the largest fabricated structures in the energy sector. From jacket foundations and transition pieces to substations and other offshore infrastructure, selecting the right lifting configuration is essential for maintaining safety, efficiency and project schedules.
Whether you’re supporting offshore fabrication, dockside loadout operations or renewable energy construction, Modulift’s engineering team can help identify the most effective below-the-hook solution for your project requirements.
Contact our team today to discuss your lifting application and discover how Modulift spreader beam systems can support safer and more efficient offshore wind construction projects.