A method of transporting a first vessel having wind turbine components to an offshore installation vessel. The method includes (i) securing the first vessel to a second vessel using a first tow line attached to a front end (or bow) of the first vessel, and (ii) securing the first vessel to a third vessel using a second tow line attached to a back end (or stern) of the first vessel. The method further includes transporting the first vessel to the offshore installation vessel using the second vessel and the third vessel secured to the first vessel via the first and second tow lines, respectively. The method also includes securing the first vessel to the offshore installation vessel. The first vessel can include one or more fender walls. The first vessel can be secured to the offshore installation vessel using one or more mooring lines.

The present invention relates to an assembly for rotating a suspended load around a substantially vertical axis, the assembly comprising an inner rim configured to have a fixed relationship with the suspended load to be rotated, an outer rim engaging the inner rim in a manner so that the inner and outer rims are configured to perform rotational movements relative to each other during rotation of the suspended load, and a drive unit for performing the relative rotational movement between the inner and outer rims. The assembly of the present invention may be secured to a lifting yoke for lifting wind turbine related components, such as entire wind turbine towers, wind turbine tower sections, nacelles, rotor blades or containers.

A method for mounting or dismounting components of a wind turbine is provided. The mounting or dismounting is accomplished by fastening at least one retaining rope or guide rope to a component to be mounted by fastening the retaining rope or the guide rope to a rope winch unit and by raising or lowering the component to be mounted or to be dismounted by means of a crane. The component to be mounted or to be dismounted is held or guided by means of the retaining rope or guide rope. The rope winch unit comprises a base, a pivot arm and a retaining unit. The pivot arm is pivot-ably coupled to the base at its first end. A rope winch for receiving the retaining rope or guide rope is provided at its second free end. The retaining unit is pivotably coupled to the pivot arm. The base comprises a plurality of latching units for receiving a first end of the retaining unit.

The offshore jack-up has a hull and a plurality of moveable legs engageable with the seafloor. The offshore jack-up is arranged to move the legs with respect to the hull to position the hull out of the water. The method comprises moving at least a portion of a vessel underneath the hull of the offshore jack-up or within a cut-out of the hull when the hull is positioned out of the water and the legs engage the seafloor. A stabilizing mechanism mounted on the jack-up is engaged against the vessel. The stabilizing mechanism is pushed down on the vessel to increase the buoyant force acting on the vessel.

An offshore wind turbine blade and tower maintenance devices and systems, more particularly, to the system for service tools positioning relative to the offshore wind turbine blade and tower. An arrangement for lowering and raising service tools used for offshore wind turbine blade and tower maintenance, having: a truss system, a rigging and a rigging pulling in and letting out means. The truss system, includes booms, pivotally attached to a supporting means, which are adapted to be leaned against or releasably fixed to a wind turbine tower or wind turbine tower mooring elements; wherein the rigging and a rigging pulling in and letting out means are operably connected with the truss system, so to allow lowering and raising service tools used for offshore wind turbine blade and tower maintenance.

The present disclosure relates to a support assembly, an assembling tooling and an assembling method, wherein the support assembly includes: a fixing member extending in a first direction; a first hinge member, stacked on the fixing member on a second direction and connected to the fixing member; a support member, spaced apart from the first hinge member in the first direction, and stacked on the fixing member on the second direction and connected to the fixing member; wherein in the second direction, a height of the support member is higher than that of the first hinge member, the first hinge member is adapted to rotatably connect with the tower tube segment and serve as a rotation fulcrum of the tower tube segment, and the support member is adapted to support the tower tube segment to maintain a position of the tower tube segment relative to the first hinge member.

An assembly and method are provided for preventing exposure of personnel to an opening defined by a surface of a wind turbine. Accordingly, a hatch assembly is arranged adjacent to the opening. The hatch assembly includes a frame structure and a support structure. The frame structure includes a plurality of frame members arranged together to at least partially surrounded opening the plurality of frame members further define a passageway for receiving the support surface. The support surface is slidable between a first position and a second position. The support surface occludes the opening defined by the surface of the wind turbine when the support surface is in the first position and occludes the passageway defined by the plurality frame members when in the second position so as to prevent exposure of personnel to the opening.

A wind turbine nacelle configured for mounting on a wind turbine tower and housing a rotor-supporting assembly defining a rotation axis. The nacelle comprises a main unit arranged to be connected to a wind turbine tower and housing the rotor-supporting assembly. A crane is placed outside the main unit and connected directly to the main frame.

A blade access arrangement (1) for a rotor blade (2) of a wind power plant having a tower (4) is described, the arrangement (1) including a platform (10) having blade guide means (12, 13) for guiding the platform against the blade and tower guide means (14) for guiding a platform (10) against the tower. Such a blade access arrangement should allow a safe access to the blade. To this end the platform 10 is adjustable in an open configuration, in which the blade can enter the blade guide means, (12, 13), and in a closed configuration, in which the platform (10) is guided by the blade (2).

A blade access arrangement for a rotor blade of a wind power plant is described, the arrangement including a platform (1) having at least two sub-platforms (3, 4, 5, 6) which are moveably connected to each other by means of a connecting arrangement. In such a platform the sub-platforms should keep a predetermined orientation to the rotor blade. To this end the connection arrangement comprises at least two connectors (9, 10), the connectors (9, 10) having the same length and at least at their ends the same distance to each other.