Blog

Tue 18 Jul 2017 The decision by the BG Verkehr has driven up operating costs on German windfarm and could adversely affect safety In April, the German maritime authority, BG Verkehr, made a decision that has greatly restricted the employment of many experienced masters of foreign crew transfer vessels on German windfarms. As Philip Woodcock*Read more

Fri 13 Jan 2017 by Philip Woodcock Masters of crew transfer vessels need to bear in mind that there are risks at every stage of a voyage, not just when transferring personnel Technology on crew transfer vessels (CTVs) is evolving rapidly, but despite this fast pace of change, working on a transfer vessel can beRead more

Wed 22 Jan 2014 by Philip Woodcock Since 20 August 2013 when the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) came into force, the question of whether windfarm support vessels (WFSVs) need to comply with the MLC has been a potential issue for the offshore wind industry, and for some, the answer is still unclear. For UK-flagged workboatsRead more

Wed 11 Jan 2017 by Philip Woodcock Chartering vessels at historically low rates has helped reduce costs in the offshore wind industry, but the market needs to remain sustainable 2016 was a year of sustained low rates for support vessels in the offshore oil and gas sector. It was also a year that saw ratesRead more

Thu 18 Jan 2018 Platforms such as those used in the offshore oil and gas industry could form the basis of O&M platforms for offshore wind As Philip Woodcock explains, the need for smart maintenance solutions for the operational phase of offshore windfarms is increasing with every tender for windfarm development The Netherlands’ latest tender,Read more

Fri 22 Apr 2016 by Philip Woodcock Vessel operators say the industry needs greater awareness of all aspects of a crew transfer operation, from start-up to shutdown Recently, when working late revising a presentation for RenewableUK on fatigue, I sat looking out at the cars passing, nose to tail on the A16 motorway in Rotterdam.Read more

Mon 14 Sep 2015 by Philip Woodcock Seawork 2015 saw representatives of IJUBOA and NWA co-host an open industry safety forum on vessels and jack-ups Seawork 2015 was brightened up this year by a first for the workboat industry. The International Jack-Up Barge Operators Association (IJUBOA) joined the National Workboat Association (NWA) to co-host anRead more

Mon 30 Jun 2014 by Philip Woodcock Despite the impression one might get from reading the popular press that offshore windfarms are serviced by unregulated cowboys, continuous improvements are being made by the vessel operators to improve safety and efficiency. Many of the vessels operating on offshore windfarms are operated by members of the NationalRead more

Thu 28 May 2015 in Policy & Regulation, Crewing & Training, Asia, Europe, General Safety by Philip Woodcock At the European Wind Energy Association’s Offshore Energy 2015 conference in Copenhagen, the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) held a seminar to introduce changes to the well known Common Marine Inspection Document (CMID) to the renewable energyRead more

Thu 11 Dec 2014 in Policy & Regulation, Asia, Europe, North America by Philip Woodcock* Recently, whilst on holiday, I had the opportunity to discuss the state of the world with a Mormon missionary. The conversation evolved over coffee and pancakes to whether the Bible should be interpreted literally or used as a guideline onRead more