Ampelmann, a leader in the provision of safe offshore access to the energy industry, has launched its latest access system for the crew change market, the S-type Walk-to Work system
The company is launching the new Walk-to-Work system as a cost effective and safe alternative to using helicopters or baskets to transport workers and luggage to and from offshore platforms.
Ampelmann says that the cost of using the system will be around 30 per cent cheaper than using helicopters. The S-type incorporates a lightweight system that uses a low amount of energy to operate.
Aimed at the global oil and gas market where the volume of crew is high and the sea conditions can be severe, the S-type can continuously transfer 50 people and luggage in five minutes in significant wave heights of up to three to four metres. The S-type design includes a separate luggage belt, can be tailored for installation to individual vessels and is expected to be a particularly attractive option on current or new build fast or light-weight medium-sized vessels, such as mono-hulls, catamarans and trimarans.
Gerbrand Marbus, crew change market manager, said, “The S-type can easily transfer more people at a time than helicopters and is a safe alternative. In developing the S-type we worked closely with vessel designers to provide an integrated package that has a reduced footprint and is lighter than comparable systems. With this integrated package, different clients can share logistics and see walk to work as an offshore bus service, reducing their crew transportation costs by 30 to 40 per cent.”
The S-type provides a wide operational range thanks to its 360 degrees access, occupies a small deck space and can be fully integrated with its host vessel. It requires no alterations to the receiving platform.
