- Nabrawind successfully installs first Goldwind GW165/6000 turbine using its Skylift system in Namibia.
- Technology enables turbine installation in extreme wind conditions without large cranes.
- InnoVent Diaz wind farm to supply 230 GWh of clean electricity, covering 6% of Namibia’s power demand.
Spanish wind energy technology company Nabrawind has successfully completed the installation of the first wind turbine using its Skylift crane free installation system at the InnoVent Diaz Wind Farm in Namibia, marking a major milestone for wind energy deployment in challenging environments.
The installation involved a Goldwind GW165/6000 direct drive wind turbine and demonstrated the viability of Nabrawind’s technology in areas with extreme wind conditions where conventional heavy lift cranes are difficult or impossible to deploy.
The Skylift system combines two of the company’s proprietary technologies, the Self Erecting System known as Total SES and the BladeRunner installation system. Together, these solutions eliminate the need for large tonnage cranes, addressing one of the key logistical constraints facing utility scale wind farm development in remote and high wind regions.
According to Nabrawind, the system can reliably operate in unstable wind conditions with sustained wind speeds of 15 m/s and gusts reaching 20 m/s. Conventional crane based installations are typically limited to wind speeds of between 6 m/s and 8 m/s, particularly during blade installation operations.
The company said the Namibian project provided an ideal testing ground due to the site’s consistently strong wind resource. The successful installation validates the system’s capability across a broad range of operating conditions.
Image credit: Nabrawind
Nabrawind also introduced a new installation approach tailored for direct drive turbines such as the Goldwind GW165/6000. After lifting the first tower section and nacelle, two blades were installed at a 30 degree angle using a proprietary handling system and counterweight mechanism to stabilise the rotor before reaching final hub height. The third blade was then installed using the BladeRunner system.
The company described the operation as the first time such a configuration has been executed with two blades positioned at a 30 degree angle, representing one of the most technically demanding aspects of the project.
The InnoVent Diaz wind farm will comprise seven Goldwind GW165/6000 turbines. Nabrawind said the project will also demonstrate the commercial scalability of the Skylift system, with the final turbine expected to be installed within a one week net installation cycle.
In addition to the seven Goldwind turbines, the wind farm includes four XMEC Darwind XE93 2000 turbines mounted on Nabrabase foundations, which have already been installed by Nabrawind.
Once fully operational, the facility is expected to generate 230 GWh of renewable electricity annually, equivalent to around 6% of Namibia’s electricity demand, while avoiding approximately 200,000 t of CO2 emissions each year.
Nabrawind, which specialises in advanced wind energy technologies and turbine components, was acquired by Australian mining and green energy group Fortescue in 2025 as part of the company’s industrial decarbonisation and Real Zero strategy.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
