Compared to rotor star blade installation, AREVA reports that its single blade installation method reduces storage requirements as there is no need to transport a fully assembled, space consuming rotor star. This minimises the number of roundtrips and, combined with operations at high wind speeds, significantly reduces costs for offshore logistics, the company says.

"The 55 ton remotely controlled yoke and the special installation method was successfully tested in May at one of AREVA’s prototype sites in Bremerhaven, and [since then] has under[gone] several extensive optimisation sequences. The average time to mount or demount a blade is around three hours," Areva reported.

Jean Huby, CEO of AREVA Wind, says, “AREVA is committed not only to delivering best-in-class turbine technology to its customers, but also to constantly driving innovation in installation and logistics so as to deliver solutions that produce energy at reduced cost. AREVA’s single blade installation is a robust and safe option for its customers to optimise offshore logistics, and we are looking forward to deploying it on our upcoming offshore wind projects.”