Houlder TAS heralds step change in transfer safety and operability for offshore wind
16 Oct 2012
Houlder’s Seawork-award-winning TAS completes trials
Houlder and BMT Nigel Gee announce that their jointly-developed Turbine Access System (TAS) has successfully completed an extensive offshore trials. The TAS won the Seawork Spirit of Innovation Trophy in 2011.
It was also demonstrated on the Seawork Quayside in 2012. In September 2012, the TAS started a four-week trials period, fitted to Turbine Transfers’ 24m Cemlyn Bay, at RWE’s Rhyl Flats offshore windfarm. Despite experiencing wave heights in excess of 1.8m, the TAS gangway provided a stable transfer platform with the system performing within its safe operating limits. Frederic Perdrix, Houlder Chief Technology Officer, commented “It’s one thing seeing an animation but actually seeing it on a wind turbine in heavy seas was most impressive”.
The TAS is a lightweight motion compensated gangway that provides substantially improved access to offshore wind turbines for maintenance personnel. It considerably increases the level of safety and operability, both of which are prime goals for offshore wind farm operators and developers. A key feature of the TAS is that it can be fitted to a wide range of existing Windfarm Support Vessels as it does not require the host vessel to have DP nor does the TAS platform connect to the turbine structure in any way.
Hazel Phillips, General Manager at Turbine Transfers commented: “We have been very impressed by the performance of the TAS and believe that this provides a step change in transfer safety and operability”.
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