Siemens has purchased the very first MaXccess system to improve the safe transfer of service specialists onto offshore wind turbines. MaXccess was designed by OSBIT Power Ltd and has been tested by a strategic alliance of Siemens, OSBIT Power, Statoil and Fred Olsen Windcarrier to establish the effectiveness of the design.
Siemens, which operates a Zero Harm health and safety policy, will apply the system on a wind project up to 30 km offshore to increase experience and identify further optimisation opportunities before wider deployment. By using the system Siemens aims to significantly improve safety at sea for its technicians and help reduce the overall cost of offshore wind.
“At Siemens the safety of our employees is of paramount importance. Our approach to safety is driven by our Zero Harm policy and we never compromise on this. Thanks to the innovative design which OSBIT Power has developed, the hazards normally associated with the transfer phase have been reduced. As a result we will continue to ensure a safe working environment for our technicians offshore,” said Richard Luijendijk , director Siemens Energy Service Renewables UK & Ireland .
The trials in Norway demonstrated the successful and safe transfer of technicians in higher sea states. The sea trials of MaXccess have shown that reliable access in 1.9m significant wave height conditions can be achieved with this first version of the system and under the local conditions where it has been tested. This system capability means that Siemens will be able to provide a higher level of accessibility, which will increase energy yields on the wind farm.
Siemens has supported the development of the MaXccess system since 2011, and has recently completed an extensive test campaign in Norway. A thorough set of sea trials were conducted at the Hywind Demo site with Statoil and Fred Olsen Windcarrier to further enhance design features.
“By proactively engaging with emerging companies such as OSBIT Power, we once again prove that we are at the forefront of the innovation in offshore wind, and continue to strive for excellence and safety in all service operations,” said Ken Soerensen , head of Service Offshore Wind Business of Siemens Energy .
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Offshore WIND staff, May 24, 2012; Image: Siemens