Blog

Mon 10 Oct 2016 by Philip Woodcock DP vessels may be relatively inexpensive right now, but four-point units have proved effective on projects such as the Nordergründe offshore windfarm Dynamic positioning (DP) vessels used in the offshore oil and gas sector and for projects in the offshore renewables segment are operating at sub-opex rates atRead more

Thu 06 Oct 2016 by Philip Woodcock Conventional VHF systems may not be suitable for use on far offshore windfarms As offshore windfarms are built further and further from land, alternatives to conventional VHF communications are going to be required A cornerstone of any major project is clear communication between all parties. As we moveRead more

Mon 15 Sep 2014 by Philip Woodcock As the Seawork 2014 exhibition in the UK ended, the lasting impression was of how large the industry has become. The common denominator among windfarm service vessels (WFSVs) on display was their sheer size. Is this the foretelling of the future or just a snapshot of a maturingRead more

Thu 11 Dec 2014 by Philip Woodcock* As the offshore wind industry matures and the first generation of large crewboats (such as Southboats 21m, Damen 2610 and BMT 21m) reaches three years of age, one has to ask whether boat operators and charterers are taking into account the cost and time needed for major engineRead more

Mon 30 Jun 2014 by Philip Woodcock Carriage of packaged dangerous goods as defined under the International Marine Dangerous Goods (IMDG) code on windfarm service vessels (WFSVs) has been taking place for as long as small vessels have been servicing offshore windfarms. Regulations requiring this process to be controlled have been included in MGN 280,Read more

Fri 24 Jan 2014 by Philip Woodcock How can windfarm operators achieve reductions in cost and risk while ensuring a sustainable supply of crewboat operators? This is a question often discussed at conferences and around boardroom tables. For the procurement teams at utilities who are tasked with sourcing windfarm support vessels (WFSVs) for a windfarmRead more

Thu 11 Feb 2016 by Philip Woodcock Umoe Ventus caught fire whilst underway between Norway and Germany The windfarm industry had a concerning lead-up to the Christmas season with a fire onboard the crew transfer vessel Umoe Ventus while on passage in Danish waters from a shipyard in Norway to a work site in Germany.Read more

Mon 22 Dec 2014 in Policy & Regulation by Philip Woodcock* Constructing and servicing offshore windfarms is an inherently dangerous occupation. By using the correct equipment, effective work planning, operational procedures and competent personnel, the risks are mitigated. Practices that were acceptable during the construction of early windfarms such as Horns Rev, North Hoyle orRead more

Tue 19 Jul 2016 by Philip Woodcock Acta Orion combines excellent seakeeping with onboard comfortable accommodation and an access system from Ampelmann There is a lot of talk at the moment about how service operation vessels (SOVs) are the future of personnel transfer in the offshore wind industry. Huge investment is being made in newRead more

Thu 28 May 2015 in Europe, Offshore Wind by Philip Woodcock Eighteen vessel masters from the windfarm crew transfer industry recently met at the inaugural Workships Contractors’ Command Conference. The masters, who all work for the recently renamed Acta Marine Wind Services (AMWS), travelled from UK and Europe to attend the event held in Colchester,Read more