Revolutionary offshore transfer technology for Hornsea Two

Ørsted has signed a multi-million pound deal with Scottish engineering innovator Pict Offshore to deploy the ‘Get Up Safe’ (GUS) motion-compensated lifting system at the Hornsea Two offshore wind farm.

The deal with Pict Offshore means that Hornsea Two, which will become the world’s largest offshore wind farm on completion in 2022, will be the first ever offshore wind farm to deploy the GUS system and entirely design out the boat landing structures and ladders on the turbine’s foundations.

The addition of the revolutionary GUS system onto each of its 165 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 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 metres 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.

The project is the result of a 3-year collaboration between Ørsted, the global leader in offshore wind, and Pict Offshore, during which time, Ørsted has taken a minority stake in the company. 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.

The Get Up Safe (GUS) system in use on a trial turbine.

Original Source: https://ocean-energyresources.com/2020/10/16/revolutionary-offshore-transfer-technology-for-hornsea-two/