Dutch-based Enersea has designed a new walk-to-work gangway system, the W-type, for the offshore access specialist Ampelmann.
The W-type is an electric gangway system developed for the service operation vessel (SOV) market to transfer personnel and cargo at various heights.
For the W-type, Ampelmann asked Enersea to design a new type of access system consisting of an integrated tower and gangway, according to the press release.
The gangway can convert into a fully functional crane with a lifting capacity of 2 tonnes. Further, with its 1.2 metres width, the gangway is wide enough to transfer trolleys of up to 750 kilogrammes from SOVs.
This is especially convenient for the offshore wind market as servicing individual turbines requires a substantial amount of equipment and tools, said Enersea.
The modular gangway has a height-adjustable range from 10 to 16 metres. The tower, which consists of an elevator with automated doors, raises the gangway to the required lifting height.
Offshore wind farm operators have already expressed their interest in the W-type gangways, including Ulstein Verft . Ampelmann has already sold seven W-type gangways of which production has started.
This is not the first time that Enersea has worked together with Ampelmann. The Dutch company has been involved in previous designs of Ampelmann systems such as the A-type and L-type, which were hexapod-based systems.