Dutch company Seaqualize has won the offshore wind innovation competition organised by its compatriot Mammoet and now has the chance to collaborate with Mammoet to further develop its solution.
Seaqualize won the competition with its Delta Active Heave Compensator, which turns a standard heavy lifting crane into a high-performance active heave-compensated crane, up to a significant wave height.
This allows operations such as floating transition piece installations, feeder barge lifts of delicate components such as turbine nacelles, and even transfers from a feeder barge to a floating heavy lift vessel to take place more reliably, Mammoet writes.
During feeder barge operations, Seaqualize Delta can offer over 80 per cent higher workability in winter months, according to the company. Rated for 600 tonnes, its full passive load control ensures smooth motion with no accidental lift-offs or re-hits, resulting in a more productive and safer workplace, Mammoet said.
Seaqualize, in cooperation with Van Oord and the nautical research institute MARIN, put its Delta600 inline Active Heave Compensator (iAHC) to trial last year, when the offshore lifting tool underwent 62 hours of offshore testing in the Dutch North Sea.
Delta600, which was tested for fixed-to-floating, floating-to-fixed, and floating-to-floating transfers of 300mT loads, is certified by DNV.
Seaqualize is also designing the next version of the tool, the Delta1000, equipped for all next generation wind turbine components.