SMST Gangway for DEME’s First SOV

SMST will deliver its next-generation gangway system for Groene Wind, DEME’s first dedicated service operation vessel (SOV) for offshore wind farm maintenance.

The gangway, the so-called Telescopic Access Bridge L-Series (TAB-L), is currently under construction and will be installed on the vessel at Cemre Shipyard in Turkey later this year.

Groene Wind features a Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull (SWATH) design making the vessel the first DP2, twin-hulled SOV in the world.

Another first for DEME is that they will be the first to use SMST’s new offshore access and lifting solution, SMST said.

“With this gangway we meet the increased operational profile for all year operations and accepted the challenge of the operational limitations of handling cargo to a Transition Piece,” said Jan Eelke van der Meulen, Sales Manager at SMST.

“We introduced new functionalities to our gangway by adding a cargo transfer system under the gangway.”

The cargo winch installed under the bridge tip for motion compensated lifting is equipped with a travel system enabling the transfer of cargo under the full bridge length. The system increases logistical efficiency and gives room for a broader scope of work, SMST said. It allows the load to be handled more secure, with less movements and in higher sea-states.

The cargo transfer system is developed in co-operation with DEME.

“SMST’s track record as manufacturer of motion compensated cranes was very valuable. With this solution we have lifting reach under the entire gangway, fully 3D motion compensated lifting capacity and ship-to-ship lifting to the Crew Transfer Vessel’s. This happens all directly out of the cargo hold, which is a real game changer of the cargo logistics on board of our SWATH,” said Henk van Mol, Project Manager New Build Department at DEME Group.

Groene Wind will be chartered by Siemens Gamesa for maintenance work at the Rentel and the SeaMade offshore wind farms in Belgium. The vessel was recently launched in Yalova and is scheduled for delivery in 2021.

The 60-metre SOV will be able to accommodate up to 24 technicians and a nautical crew, and is expected to enable crew transfers in significant wave heights of up to 2.5 metres.