Given the increasing size and weight of wind turbine components, ‘crane-less technology’ is becoming more relevant in the wind energy sector and will likely be adopted more widely in South Africa in the coming years, says power plant operator 3Energy CEO Florian Kroeber. While the term crane-less is used in the wind energy industry, it is misleading because most systems still use equipment that comprises a crane, although this technology mitigates the need for large ground-operated cranes for maintenance purposes.
