Palfinger claims world first with fully electric jib cranes for offshore Polish substations

Earlier in 2025, the company announced details of a contract to supply 100 platform cranes for the Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 offshore windfarms in Poland. Now, Palfinger has been selected to deliver fully electric offshore cranes that will be installed on the substations for the project – a first in the offshore wind industry. 

The DKJ500e cranes will be built in Palfinger’s production facility in Gdynia, Poland, and will have a safe working load of 5 tonnes at 28 m outreach. They are based on fully electric offshore jib cranes developed by the company for the offshore oil and gas industry, where the cranes are also designed to be remotely operated.

Palfinger said the cranes are designed in such a way that components that are exposed to the weather are kept to a minimum, and internal space is provided for key parts, such as the trolley with the main winch and electric motors. “This makes for an ideal solution for substations on offshore windfarms, which are unmanned, remotely located and where low maintenance is crucial for cost optimisation,” the company said. 

“Moreover, they are equipped with advanced diagnostic systems and remote connectivity. From an onshore control location, the crane can be powered up and maintenance runs can be performed at regular intervals, even during periods of inactivity.”

In addition to the fully electric jib cranes, Palfinger will also deliver six PF160 cranes for both substations, with a lifting capacity of 2,000 kg at a significant wave height of 2 m in single line of operation. Each of the wind turbines in the windfarms will be equipped with PF120 platform cranes from Palfinger.