SeaEnergy aims to use the platforms in its marine services business aimed at providing support services for the construction, commissioning and operations and maintenance phases of offshore wind farms.

The offshore wind access platforms will be used aboard Ulstein X-Bow vessels, enabling SeaEnergy’s marine services business to provide greater levels of access and thereby cost efficiencies to offshore wind turbine developers and operators.

SeaEnergy also recently signed a letter of intent with Ulstein to co-develop new service vessels for the offshore wind industry.

The SeaEnergy vessel system could permit night-time operations and also enable greater levels of access for maintenance in challenging conditions and during winter.

The combined Ampelmann and X-Bow offshore wind access system is capable of staying at sea 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, providing access to wind turbines virtually all year round.

The Ampelmann platform is specifically designed to actively compensate for vessel motions and does not require a docking station to be pre-fitted on the offshore wind turbine structures.

While the base of the Ampelmann platform is mounted on the deck of a vessel, its motion stabilising technology means the top of the platform remains stationary and the gangway easily deployed, allowing safe transfers in seas of up to 4 m.