Ampelmann and C-Job Naval Architects have joined forces to develop an offshore wind power vessel concept for US projects.

The vessel with motion compensation technology is uniquely suited to the rigorous demands of operating off the east coast of the United States and is Jones Law compliant, according to the Dutch offshore service provider.

Todd Allen, vice president of business development for C-Job Naval Architects, said: “The United States is ambitious in its plans to grow installed offshore wind power.

“The only viable way to achieve this goal while complying with Jones’ Law is to use wind turbine vessels at sea.

“Together with our strategic partner Ampelmann, the experts in motion compensation, we have created an innovative vessel design ready to support the construction of US wind farms today and in the future.”

The state-of-the-art offshore wind power vessel has an L-shaped superstructure.

This allows the transport of all components of the wind turbine, including the blades, while keeping the vessel itself relatively compact while minimizing construction and operating costs.

To maximize maneuverability and allow components to be lifted safely, the feed tank has a motion compensation system specially designed by Ampelmann.

The system uses core Ampelmann technology to stabilize wind turbine components (WTG) in six degrees of freedom and is designed for safe lifting operations in sea conditions up to 2.5m in height. significant wave height.

The compensator is positioned near the center of the vessel where it can compensate for all vessel movements and allows continuous operations – even in adverse weather conditions – throughout the year.

Gus DeOliveira, Ampelmann’s Business Development Manager for the Americas, said: “We see great potential for the offshore wind market in the United States and believe we can add unique value based on our decades of experience in the offshore wind market.

“Our partnership with C-Job is crucial if we are to design and deliver the ideal solution for this growing market.

Wind turbine components are arranged on the vessel with a quick connect plug and slide system.

The loading pallets are quickly placed on the deck thanks to the quick connection system.

Once the supply vessel is at its destination, the system slides the components into place to connect to the motion compensator.

The Ampelmann system then compensates for all movements of the vessel, so that the crane operator can lift the turbine components in the same way as a land lift.

The motion compensated wind supply vessel is designed to provide maximum efficiency and maneuverability during the construction of an offshore wind farm.

The conventional working method is for the installation vessel to transport the components and then perform the installation of the turbines.

However, according to Ampelmann, this is an inefficient use of WTIV and, in the case of foreign vessels, not permitted by the Jones Act.

With this feed concept – which is seen as a series – the turbine components are brought to the installation site through the feed tank.

With two or more vessels per project, this allows WTIV to focus on installing the turbines and ensuring operations continue at all times.