Project description
Innovative lifting device for the installation and maintenance of wind turbines
Every year, more than 18 000 new turbines are installed and around 20 000 maintenance operations are carried out. The EU-funded KoalaLifter project aims to use a wind turbine generator (WTG) tower as a support to develop a lifting device that has autonomous self-climbing capability and is virtually independent of tower height, weight to be lifted and wind speed limits. KoalaLifter's easy installation, logistics, safety, and low workforce requirements gives it an advantage compared to existing craneless technologies and conventional maintenance and erecting systems. First, the project will extend the product range. Second, it will validate and certify products and processes. Finally, KoalaLifter will be commercialised. The goals will be achieved with the support of the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator blended funding.
Objective
LEUNAMME has developed the KoalaLifter System, a disruptive lifting device that uses the Wind Turbine Generator (WTG) tower as a support, having an autonomous self-climbing capability. Therefore, there is no need for auxiliary cranes, making the system virtually independent of the tower height, weight to be lifted or wind speed limits. We have four international patents protecting KoalaLifter technology.
Every year more than 18,000 new turbines are installed, and around 20,000 maintenance operations are carried out, which represents considering a small penetration of 6.9% (WTG maintenance) and 11.9% (WTG erecting) on 2025 a potential revenue for KoalaLifter of €86 million.
KoalaLifter EIC Accelerator project aims to cover the gap between the current TRL6 level up to TRL9 stage. Main objectives are (i) to extent product range; (ii) to validate and certify products and processes; (iii) to prepare for commercialization; and (iv) to protect, exploit and communicate our solution.
After raising funding from capital funds and bank loans, we are at the limit of our possibilities to raise quickly the additional €5.7 m to accelerate the finalization of our solution and be ready to commercialize it internationally in only two years; an EIC Accelerator blended funding will allow to achieve those goals.
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Funding Scheme
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2Coordinator
31620 Gorraiz
Spain
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.