Pict Offshore equipped with Sif’s TPless monopile

Sif, a manufacturer of monopile and transition pieces (TP) for offshore wind turbines in the Netherlands, has signed an agreement with Pict Offshore to integrate the Get Up Safe (GUS) motion compensation lift system into Sif’s Skybox TP-less monopile as standard. bottom. Foundation.

Developed by Pict Offshore, a company partially owned by Ørsted, the GUS system is a heave-compensated personnel lifting solution that transforms the way maintenance technicians access offshore wind turbines from crew transport vessels.

“The GUS system will replace the landing structure of Orsted’s Hornsea 2 offshore wind farm and will be the standard way to access Sif’s Skybox foundation,” SIF said.

According to information on the Pict Offshore website, the GUS system has been deployed so that technicians can move directly between the crew’s transfer vessel and the platform.

“This eliminates the need for technicians to move between the bow and ladder of the ship. It is a potentially dangerous operation that requires skilled adjustments to perform safely in a variety of weather conditions and is maximal. Eliminates the tired climb of 20 meters. Length. ” Pict Offshore explains on its website.

The agreement between SIF and Pict combines Pict’s next-generation access technology with Sif’s next-generation TP-less foundation. Skybox can be installed on a single lift without the need for welding brackets on the monopile, reducing costs and maintenance, improving drivability and overall efficiency, Sif said.

According to SIF, the first deployment of Skybox, including the GUS system, will be later this year when the second demonstrator, Skybox Full, will be built.

According to Sif, the “Skybox Lite” demonstrator, which went offshore in 2021, will act as a “rubber” for intensive onshore testing and measurement campaigns running this summer. Incorporating all the lessons learned from this campaign, the “Skybox Full” demonstrator will be built after the summer for an offshore deployment in 2023.

The project is being carried out according to the original plan, and both technical readiness level and DNV certification are on track for serial deployment in 2024, Sif said.

See how the Sif Skybox system works below. The animation was released last year and does not include Pict Offshore’s GUS system.