Posted on April 26, 2022
Ampelmann, the Dutch offshore access provider, has signed its first contract in the US offshore wind market. An E1000 motion compensated system will be supplied to the marine transportation and towing company Otto Candies to facilitate operations during the construction of Southfork-, Revolution- and Sunrise wind farm – three commercial scale wind farms in the north-east US Atlantic. This marks an important turning point for the company and will see the introduction of Walk to Work (W2W) to the American renewable energy sector.
In Q3 2023, the E1000 will be fitted onto the Inspection, Maintenance and Repair Vessel (IMR), Paul Candies, to support the hook-up and commissioning of turbines. As the system compensates for all six degrees of freedom in relation to the vessel and turbine, it will enable safe, consistent, and reliable offshore access in sea states up to 4,5m Hs during its year-long operation.
Along with providing safe access for personnel, the system will also be used to hoist cargo, equipment, and tools up to a 1,000kg and the gangway’s fuel transfer capabilities will allow for the testing of the generators and turbines. By converting the Paul Candies into a W2W vessel, the E1000 will enable the servicing of multiple turbines at once, greatly increasing the speed and efficiency of operations.
“We would like to express our deepest gratitude to Otto Candies,” says Steven Kaub, Ampelmann’s business developer for American offshore wind, “for choosing us to facilitate this important operation. Over the years we have developed a solid relationship with Otto Candies, and their enduring trust in our systems and services allows us to showcase what we can offer to the US offshore renewable market.”
Ampelmann has more than a decade of experience in the American offshore access market and a nearly 15-year global track record in the offshore wind sector. Over the last 10 years, motion compensated systems have become a well-known feature of the American oil and gas sector, but this will the first time that the E1000 will be used in the US offshore (wind) market.
“As these are some of the first commercial scale wind farms in the USA,” Kaub remarks, “we are particularly proud to be a part of this historical accomplishment together with Otto Candies. This is a significant achievement for the company, and it will highlight the efficiency and safety our systems bring to the American renewable energy sector, as it has done in Europe and Asia. Ampelmann is keen to take on an active role in the emerging US offshore wind market.”
