Ampelmann Nets Six US Offshore Wind Contracts

March 29, 2023, by Adnan Memija

The Dutch offshore access provider Ampelmann has signed six new contracts in the US offshore wind market for 2023, 2024, and 2025.

In the coming year, Ampelmann’s motion-compensated gangway will assist in the hook-up, cabling, and commissioning of turbines on Vineyard Wind and South Fork Wind offshore wind farms, two of the first commercial-scale wind farms in the US that will provide clean energy to the region.

Both projects will involve the use of the E1000 system and the A300.

The E1000, based on proven Ampelmann E-type technology, can convert from personnel to cargo transport mode within minutes and has a lifting capacity of 1,000kg.

The Ampelmann A300 is able to convert from crane to gangway mode in 30 seconds and can carry cargo up to 300kg.

Alongside its systems, Ampelmann will provide 24/7 support with its Operational Control Centre (OCC), and through its digital platform, Ampelmann Insights, the company will provide workability forecasts and project management tools to further improve the workability and efficiency of offshore operations, said the Dutch company.

The expansion of the US offshore wind market has led the company to open a new office in Boston, Massachusetts, its second in the US.

“We see such a massive potential in this new industry that is starting in the USA. 2023 will be the first time that two US wind farms will be simultaneously under construction”, said Gus DeOliveira, Business Development Area Manager Americas at Ampelmann.

“Though still at an infancy stage, between 2023-2030, the USA will be heavily investing in offshore wind. With its massive coastlines in the East, South and West, the country is positioned to become one of the global leaders in offshore wind within the next 10 years.”

The 800 MW Vineyard Wind offshore wind farm, currently under construction off the coast of Massachusetts, is set to start producing electricity this year.

The project, the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the US, is located 15 miles (24 kilometres) off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard and will feature 62 Haliade-X 13 MW turbines, which will generate enough electricity for more than 400,000 homes and businesses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

South Fork Wind, for which Ørsted and Eversource reached the final investment decision (FID) at the beginning of last year, will be New York’s first offshore wind farm and the second commercial-scale project of this kind to be built in the US, following Vineyard Wind.

The 130 MW wind farm will comprise twelve 11 MW Siemens Gamesa turbines installed at the project site some 30 kilometres (19 miles) southeast of Block Island, Rhode Island, and some 56 kilometres (35 miles) east of Montauk Point, New York.

When it comes to Ampelmann, the company signed its first contract in the US offshore wind market in April last year under which it will provide a Walk-to-Work gangway system to the marine transportation and towing company, Otto Candies.