Early May, Safeway B.V., based in Dordrecht, the Netherlands, secured its first contract with DEME Offshore in Belgium for the delivery of its ‘Osprey’-type of motion compensated offshore access system. Equipped with some striking new features, the W2W gangway will be permanently installed on the next generation offshore installation vessel ‘Orion’.
The 216.5 meters long ‘Orion’ is featuring an unrivalled combination of exceptionally high transport and load capacity, impressive lifting heights and green technology. The new DP3 vessel is set to be delivered in Q4 of 2019.
The most unique feature of this custom-made Safeway W2W system is that the gangway is vertically integrated in a specially designed staircase, which means that the ‘plug and play’ system can be positioned in various places on the 8,000 m2 free deck area of the ‘Orion’ for a safe and comfortable transport of goods and people. The power pack is located in the lower floor of the steel stair case and the control cabin is installed at the top. The cargo feature of the Safeway has proven to be very useful. The presence of a smart Safeway A-Frame construction at the boom tip means that at the touch of a button, the operator can switch in just 20 seconds from People Transfer Mode to Cargo Transfer Mode with a lifting capacity of 1,000 kg. Practice has shown that this 3D crane function is used far more often than was initially expected.
Remko de Boer, General Manager at Safeway adds: “We had the opportunity to further develop the Osprey system with DEME Offshore. We have added some important features, such as a the vertical gangway storage position, saving deck space as a boom rest on deck is no longer needed. Another unique Safeway feature, ‘zero impact bumpering’ or the ‘hover mode’, is part of the requirements of DEME Offshore as now the vessel can freely choose its heading during operations without being restricted to the position of access gates at the offshore structure. We are very pleased to see that the ‘hover mode’ has now proven operational track record worldwide and it is an absolute ‘game changer’, offering a degree of flexibility previously unseen in the international gangway industry.”
Wijnand van Aalst, Managing Director at Safeway, which is part of the Van Aalst Group, says: “We are thrilled about this collaboration with DEME Offshore, as it is the first time we are working with one of the most prestigious offshore installation and decommissioning contractors in the world. We have listened very carefully to their wishes and the work performed by our engineers has demonstrated that we can respond to specific client requirements adequately and fast. From the very outset of the development of this innovative and custom-made access system we have enjoyed a terrific collaboration with the people of DEME Offshore. We are happy to have gained their confidence and trust. And we look forward to continuing our relationship with DEME Offshore in the future."
“Safeway qualified as supplier for DEME due to its proven track record in the W2W business as well as their innovative technology. During the tendering phase, Safeway made the difference by listening to and incorporating DEME Offshore’s specific requirements and features into their Osprey model. We were impressed by Safeway’s open-minded approach to change their Osprey design. We are looking forward to seeing the final product come into place and to see the unit come to live on board of our brand-new vessel Orion,” says Kenneth Vannieuwenhuyse, Lead Methods Engineer at DEME Offshore.
The integrated W2W system will be fabricated at Safeway’s dedicated manufacturing facility in Dordrecht. Delivery is planned in early 2020 in Flushing, the Netherlands. The gangway itself will be tested on Van Aalst’s own test facility in Dordrecht while being installed on a pedestal. The full acceptance test will be done here as well prior to classification by DNV GL.
Contact:
SafeWay contact: Remko de Boer. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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