Electric gangway and 3D crane enhance productivity on new CSOV series

Driven by electric motors, the Horizon gangway provides almost instant torque. Its dimensions support efficient cargo flow, including the largest integrated elevator on the market, a waiting platform that accommodates up to four pallets, and a gangway bridge measuring 1.5 m wide as opposed to the 1.2-m standard. Through three-dimensional motion compensation, it also achieves unmatched docking stability.

MacGregor product owner gangways Prateek Sadhana told OWJ, “If a wave causes the ship to rise or fall, luffing will raise or lower the bridge to compensate for that movement. If the ship rolls, the telescopic motion will move the bridge in or out to maintain contact with the transition piece on a turbine. If the ship moves forwards or backwards, the slewing motion will rotate the bridge to the left or right, as needed. Crucially, this is all controlled down to millimetres of precision.”

According to Mr Sadhana, most motion compensation is required for the ‘luffing’ motion – up-and-down movement – to maintain gangway stability. In many existing gangway systems, however, hydraulic luffing control is located at the rear of the bridge, far from the tip, leading to greater movement and higher power requirements.

In contrast, Horizon uses an electrical luffing winch positioned on top of the tower to drive vertical motion from the middle of the gangway, thus reducing the distance between the luffing input and the point of contact between the bridge and the transition piece. This unique geometry, coupled with the precision of the electric motor, minimises movement at the tip of the bridge, with less power needed to maintain stability.

Thanks to its permanent magnet motors, Horizon can also harness the three-dimensional movement of the bridge to generate electricity that is fed back into the onboard electrical grid, creating an energy- and cost-efficient loop for powering offshore docking and transfer operations.

Complementing the Horizon system is the Colibri crane, a knuckleboom crane equipped with advanced three-dimensional motion compensation. Colibri can efficiently handle standard starboard-side and subsea lifts via its main winch, but its distinctive advantage is its innovative Colibri tool – a lightweight articulated attachment mounted on the crane’s folding jib to enable the precise handling of smaller, more delicate loads.  

The tool is designed for the safe and precise transfer of cargo to a transition piece, where space is limited. By independently providing three-dimensional motion compensation, it removes the need to move the entire crane structure. This reduction in mass optimises energy efficiency, enhances response times, and ensures higher accuracy.

Colibri is fully compatible with MacGregor’s AROS solution, as is the Horizon gangway. AROS enables operators to control both systems seamlessly from a centralised station on the bridge. Equipped with a video wall and dual human-machine interface touchscreens, it allows instant switching between crane and gangway functions, maximising overall operational efficiency.

Such is the capability provided by Horizon and Colibri that IWS Fleet can safely operate in higher sea states than is possible with a conventional gangway and crane system.

MacGregor senior sales manager offshore wind Bjørnar Berge said, “After IWS introduced its first vessel, IWS Skywalker, at Dogger Bank, the operator was able to raise the significant wave height threshold by half a metre, based on the performance of our solution.”

Horizon’s performance in high sea states is particularly advantageous in winter when the operational envelope in the North Sea can be restricted due to safety concerns. By expanding the ‘weather window,’ Mr Berge explained, the system helps to promote year-round productivity but, as Mr Sadhana notes, although increasing the weather window is great for productivity, with people walking across the gangway from the ship to a turbine, safety is the primary concern. Hence the use of numerous safety features in the Horizon system, features that, MacGregor said, exceed industry standards. These include step-free access, prominent warning signs, buzzers, and a traffic-light-based system that clearly guides personnel movement. 

The gangway also has robust guard rails and barriers that are designed to prevent injury and accidental entrapment, while the wider than usual gangway structure and control philosophy – with carefully designed safety interlocks and gentle, precise motion compensation – ensure safe, comfortable transit, minimising abrupt movements for personnel.

MacGregor’s ‘dual-path’ philosophy means the system also has two of every critical component – such as motors, wires, sensors and programmable logic controllers – to ensure full redundancy in case of equipment failure. Around-the-clock support and remote troubleshooting is another important way to ensure safety, with the ‘OnWatch Scout’ condition monitoring and a maintenance application that keeps equipment running smoothly throughout the lifetime of the vessel.

“In the offshore wind market, safety and uptime are inseparable,” Mr Berge concluded. “CSOV owners often refer to the gangway as the ‘money maker.’ If it can’t be operated safely, it can’t be operated at all, which means a loss of earnings for the owner and operator alike. Prioritising safety doesn’t just protect people, it also directly maximises productivity.”

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