Dutch outfit Van Aalst Group has achieved what it calls “record transfer” levels with its Safeway motion-compensated access system on the Olympic Intervention IV DP2 vessel, while carrying out maintenance on the 200MW Borkum West 2.1 and 350MW Wikinger offshore wind farms in the German North Sea.
The 28-metre walk-to-work ‘Seagull-type’ system is able to compensate for wave heights of up to 3.5 metres on a standard 75-metre long PSV hull, Van Aalst said.
It has been deployed since October on Olympic Intervention IV for work on Siemens Gamesa Adwen turbines.
Safeway general manager Remko de Boer said that the transfer of six people and three cargo loads from sail away to turbine and back to sailing position was achieved within 30 minutes.
An average of 10 cargo transfers a day were carried out on Borkum West, with 13 transfers achieved on some days.
He said: “This will contribute to the overall industry costs savings, lowering installation and maintenance costs of offshore wind farms.”
Image: Van Aalst
Dutch deliver Safeway ‘record’
By EBS