Ampelmann, a leader in the provision of safe offshore access to the energy industry, has unveiled the latest Walk to Work system which has been specially designed for operation in extreme cold conditions.

The N-type, nicknamed Icemann, was officially launched in front of 200 guests on Thursday, April 20, in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Designed to safely and efficiently transfer crew in extreme icing and temperatures as low as -28C (-18F), the fully enclosed and insulated system is operational in sea states up to 3.5 meters significant wave height and comprises active motion compensation. The Icemann rotates to 360 degrees and is controlled from the vessel with flexibility in platform landing locations and directions.

Walk to Work systems, where workers transfer between offshore platforms and adjacent vessels, are increasingly being used by the offshore industry as a safe and cost effective alternative to helicopter and basket transfers.

Ampelmann created the Icemann in response to growing demand for effective and safe personnel transfer equipment in frontier regions. The company anticipates strong demand for the Icemann to service remote and extreme cold oil and gas areas in non-Arctic Russia, Norway and Canada as well as regions of the Caspian Sea.

Ampelmann announced last year that Sakhalin Energy had ordered an Icemann system for use at the Sakhalin-2 field in eastern Russia (outside of the Arctic Circle). Set to be installed later this year, Ampelmann has worked closely with Sakhalin Energy to tailor the system to the unique requirements of the project which will be installed on one of the company’s ice class vessels for the next 10 years.

Jim Craig, Ampelmann’s chief executive officer, said: “The system has been designed from the bottom up with every single component selected for its ability to operate in these extreme conditions. Given the remoteness of the work, it is crucial that maintenance is minimal and this has been reflected in the design.

“Various different extreme weather technologies are employed in the design of the Iceman, making it the most high performance gangway system that has ever been built from an operations and conditions point of view. The system has been in development for a long-time and we have worked with the customer to meet their exact requirements.”

Ampelmann designs and delivers innovative, safe, reliable and efficient transfer solutions to the offshore energy industries globally. With a track record of more than three million safe people transfers, more than 1.5 million kg cargo transfers and 200 projects worldwide, Ampelmann operates in Europe, Africa, Asia Pacific, the Americas and the Middle East.