Ørsted has signed a multi-million pound deal with Scottish engineering company Pict Offshore to deploy the Get Up Safe (GUS) motion-compensated lifting system at the Hornsea Two offshore windfarm. As highlighted by OWJ, in 2019, the windfarm developer acquired a stake in the Scottish company
The deal with Pict Offshore means that Hornsea Two – which will become the world’s largest offshore windfarm on completion in 2022 – will be the first offshore windfarm to deploy the GUS system and entirely design out the boat landing structures and ladders on the turbine’s foundations.
Adopting the GUS system on the wind turbines means external ladders are no longer necessary, streamlining the foundation and reducing steelwork requirements – boosting both safety and the potential for construction and through-life cost reductions.
With the GUS system in place, technicians will be lifted and lowered directly between the crew transfer vessel and the platform. This removes the need for technicians to step between the bow of the vessel and the ladder; a potentially dangerous operation that requires skilled co-ordination to be carried out safely during variable weather conditions, and eliminates a tiring climb, which can be up to 20 m in length.
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.
As also highlighted previously by OWJ, the project is the result of a three-year collaboration between Ørsted, the global leader in offshore wind, and Pict Offshore.
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.
Ørsted head of UK region 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 Two 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 is helping to ensure the wellbeing of our technicians and project teams.”
Pict managing director Philip Taylor said, “With this deployment, Ørsted is living up to its reputation as a visionary renewable energy player. The decision to deploy the GUS system at Hornsea Two is a bold and transformative move designed to both increase safety and reduce costs for the next generation of offshore windfarms. With other offshore wind developers now taking a strong interest in the system, we hope that it is a vision that will be shared by the industry.”
With the motion-compensated hoist, technicians will be lifted up directly from a transfer vessel. The vessel pushes directly onto the transition piece rather than a boat landing. The line is called down via remote control, the technician clips onto the GUS line and is lifted up to the platform.
The system is fully motion-compensated and uses inbuilt lasers to track the motion of the vessel, which means if there is a sudden rise or fall of the vessel, the technician is automatically moved out of harm’s way, in real-time.
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