The offshore wind industry continues to grow in 2021, and so does the need for safe and efficient offshore access. Ampelmann, the Dutch offshore access provider, has signed 13 contracts in European offshore wind in the first half of 2021. With these contracts, the company enables the installation and maintenance of wind farms by providing motion compensated gangway solutions for both personnel and cargo transfer.
“Securing these projects has brought us new opportunities to deliver the highest level of safety to offshore operations,” said Bob Rollerman, Business Developer for Europe at Ampelmann. “It has been a true team effort, with colleagues from across the region working hard to bring those contracts in. We are also happy to be working with both recurring and new clients to make their operations easier on the open sea.”
For all 13 campaigns, Ampelmann relies on its A-type and E1000 systems, both with a stellar track record in the industry. Two of the projects will make use of the company’s A-hoist add-on, a recent innovation that enables its flagship system, the A-type, to lift and transfer cargo up to 240kg in a safe and efficient manner. This is particularly important in operations where tools and parts need to be brought to and from the offshore platform.
For larger cargo operations, Ampelmann is using the E1000, which can transfer loads up to 1 ton and fully compensate for the motions of the vessel in high sea states.
“Safety and efficiency are at the core of what we do at Ampelmann and the E1000 delivers on both. It significantly improves the efficiency of our client’s operations, with its ability to switch between cargo and personnel transfer in less than a minute and with the push of a button,” Rollerman said.
The A-type and E1000 systems are supporting the installation of several new windfarms, among which the Horn Sea Two, Moray East and Hollandse Kust.
First project in French waters
Among the recently secured projects is one in France, a new market for Ampelmann, where it is supporting the installation of the foundation of a wind farm. This also happens to be the company’s first commercial offshore wind project in France.
“We celebrate the opportunity of joining this offshore wind project off the coast of France”, Rollerman said. “Every commissioning operation in offshore wind is a step in the right direction and entering new geographical areas in that market is particularly exciting.”
Apart from the installation and commissioning of wind farms, Ampelmann’s systems are also supporting multiple maintenance operations. In either case, having a system that is capable of transferring both cargo and personnel has proven to be crucial.
A large part of the 13 contracts has been signed with returning customers – companies that have experienced the value Ampelmann adds to their offshore operations. In order to further improve its offering, the Dutch offshore access provider now also offers access to Ampelmann Insights, its data-driven platform that gives clients a detailed look into their day-to-day operations. This includes the number of transfers they’ve completed, the performance of the system as well as a workability forecast based on sea and weather conditions.
According to some of the latest data, Ampelmann has enabled the safe transfer of more than 22,000 people and close to 1.5 million kg of cargo in these 13 new projects so far.
