Z-Bridge’s Bring-to-Work system to support Hornsea 2

IJmuiden based Z-Bridge Offshore Access Solutions has been selected to provide its new motion compensated ‘Bring-to-Work’ system for deployment on crew transfer vessels (CTVs) that will support Ørsted’s Hornsea Two Offshore Wind Farm construction.

Ørsted announced yesterday that is set to welcome three new hybrid CTVs from MHO-Co and Northern Offshore Services to assist with the construction at Hornsea Two offshore wind farm. Scheduled for completion in 2022, Hornsea Two will become the world’s largest offshore wind farm, with a capacity to generate 1.4GW of clean energy.

N-O-S will take delivery of their 39-meter “Energizer” in Spring 2021 and MHO-Co are due to deliver their two 35-meter CTV’s MHO Asgard and MHO Apollo in Summer 2021. The CTV’s will carry Z-Bridge’s newly access system, called Bring-to-Work.

The Bring-to-Work (B2W) is a lightweight (25 tonnes), fully motion compensated offshore access system which can be deployed to transfer people or cargo in a trolley directly from a CTV or (small) DP vessel to the transition piece (TP) platform. According to the company, the system can be quickly mobilised (Plug & Sail).

The system was certified in September 2020 by Bureau Veritas for the transfer of up to 4 persons or 1 ton of cargo in the trolley and to hoist 3 tonnes in crane mode. By eliminating stepping onto the boat landing and climbing ladders this should improve safety.

Bastiaan Spruit, General Manager at Z-Bridge said: “We see that this will also significantly reduce the required visit time per TP, lowering fuel consumption and improving operational efficiency. The Bring-to-Work system is the first offshore access system installed on a CTV that is able to transfer people direct to the TP platform elevation.”

Z-Bridge completed the sea trials, on the MHO-Co’s CTV MHO Esbjerg, at the end of 2020. MHO-Co already has 2 CTVs set to work on the wind farm, including the MHO Esbjerg which features the B2W system.

Source: Wind Energy Magazine