Orsted has signed a multi-million pound deal with Scottish engineering outfit Pict Offshore to deploy a motion-compensated lifting system at the Hornsea 2 offshore wind farm.
Hornsea 2 will be the first offshore wind farm to deploy Pict Offshore’s Get Up Safe (GUS) system, which means boat landing structures and ladders do not have to be used in turbine foundation designs.
The GUS system will be included with each of the 165 wind turbine foundations being installed at Hornsea 2.
The project is the result of a three-year collaboration between Orsted and Pict Offshore, during which time, Orsted has taken a minority stake in the company.
Pict is now manufacturing the GUS systems at its facility in Inverkeithing Fife and has doubled its headcount in the past months, adding production and manufacturing capability.
Orsted UK region head Duncan Clark said: “Innovation continues to be a key driver behind the success of offshore wind and the UK is leading the way through engineering innovators like Pict Offshore.
“Hornsea 2 is set to be another ground-breaking offshore wind project and showcases how far the industry has come in terms of size, scale, knowledge and ambition.
“At the heart of this ingenious engineering is safety and the GUS system is a pioneering example of how new technology to helping to ensure the wellbeing of our technicians and project teams.”
The GUS system enables technicians to be lifted and lowered directly between crew transfer vessel and the platform.
This removes the need for technicians to step between the bow of the vessel and the ladder, which is a potentially dangerous operation that requires skilled co-ordination to be carried out safely during variable weather conditions.
It also eliminates a tiring climb, which can be up to 20 metres.
The GUS systems’ active heave compensation function tracks the motion of the vessel deck and automatically adjusts the line position to ensure that transferring technicians are always kept safe, even if the vessel is moving in variable wave and weather conditions.