Deutsche Offshore, a leading provider of offshore wind support services, has selected SMST, the Dutch marine equipment specialist, to outfit its new fleet of Construction and Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (C-CSOVs) with advanced mission equipment. The contract includes SMST’s Telescopic Access Bridge (TAB-L2) and 50-tonne Offshore Knuckle Boom Crane (KBC-L) featuring 3D motion compensation – a combination designed to maximise operational uptime in challenging offshore environments.
“Crane and gangway will have the single most important influence on the performance of our vessels of any component on board. Therefore, we have conducted a very careful and thorough selection process for our Mission Equipment. We are thrilled to have SMST as partner to realize the innovative nature of our vessels. SMST will grant us the unique combination of a high performing system, proven to operate reliable, safe and in severe weather conditions,” says Johannes Wolters, Managing Director at Deutsche Offshore.
The fully integrated TAB-L2 gangway system will sport the greatest height flexibility in the market, as the tower offers a 18m vertical stroke. Hence, the C-CSOV will be able to offer 100 percent horizontal access as low as 12m and as high as 30m above waterline. The 3t 3D-compensated crane functionality will grant the vessel additional flexibility and redundancy in operation.
In order to maximize efficiency and reliability of the system, Deutsche Offshore has chosen to equip the TAB-L2 with automatic landing functionality and a condition-based monitoring system (CBM).
“The gangway we deliver, has been outfitted with the SMST smartTRACKER that enables autonomous positioning and connecting of the gangway. With these features, we ensure optimal flexibility and efficiency for Deutsche Offshore’s lifting and W2W operations,” says Jochem Tuinstra, Sales Manager at SMST.
The KBC-L has been designed to meet the innovative nature of the C-CSOV: In construction configuration, the crane will have a 50t AHC lift. This will enable the vessels to take on additional tasks in building offshore wind farms compared to other CSOV designs, or take on other work in the offshore energy sector. In 3D motion compensation configuration, the crane will offer the capability to lift 10t to 30m heights with pin point accuracy. This dual-purpose functionality maximizes the flexibility of the entire vessels, ensuring safe transfer of cargo in varying operations. A live collision avoidance system will furthermore support the operators in ensuring safe and reliable operations.
