Orsted has acquired a 22.5% stake in Scottish technology company Pict Offshore, which is developing a system for transferring technicians onto offshore wind turbines.
Pict, a spin off from height safety company Limpet Technology, has been developing the Get Up Safe system since 2016.
GUS is a motion compensated hoist solution that enables technicians to transfer between small moving vessels and offshore wind turbines.
“Using this technology means that technicians will no longer have to step from a moving boat onto a ladder and then climb (sometimes over 20 metres) to reach the base of the turbine. Instead they can clip onto the system and be safely and effortlessly hoisted up to the turbine base directly from the boat,” said Orsted.
More than 1600 successful hoists have been carried out at Orsted wind farms as part of a testing process. GUS is patent-protected and in the final stages of development.
The Danish developer has been partnering with the Fife-based outfit on the technology for some time.
Orsted senior vice president offshore operations Mark Porter said: “This game-changing new technology can provide a more efficient, safe and cost-effective way of transferring technicians onto offshore wind turbines.”
Pict managing director Philip Taylor added: “The Get Up Safe motion compensated lifting system is an ambitious step forward for the whole offshore wind industry. It completely revolutionises the way technicians get to work, and we’re delighted to have reached the final stages of testing.”