James Fisher and Sons plc and Uptime International have signed a memorandum of understanding to partner for the use of motion compensated gangways in the development of the pioneering Ulstein SX221 Diamond SOV.
The duo said that the agreement would ensure the safety and efficiency of offshore personnel through autonomous and intelligent operations.
The news is related to the Diamond Consortium’s ULSTEIN SX221 Diamond SOV concept, announced in June 2022.
With James Fisher representing the Diamond Consortium, a collaboration with Graig, and support from DNV and Ulstein Design Solutions, the SOV will exclusively utilize Uptime’s motion compensated gangways for safe transportation of technicians and equipment between vessels and turbines.
Jim Hey, group business development director at James Fisher said: “Based on current project pipelines, at least 37 new SOVs are required to meet UK offshore wind demand. With over 1500 UK employees in offices across including Lowestoft, Barrow-in-Furness, Grimsby and Aberdeen, along with our maritime heritage spanning 175 years, James Fisher has the right people in the right places to bring this innovative vessel to market, placing the UK at the centre of the global offshore wind revolution.
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"The logistic system is a critical element of SOV design and usage. The combination of James Fisher and Uptime’s expertise and capabilities will shore-up availability of supply with a future-proofed design for gangway technology upgrades. We are thrilled to be working with Uptime and look forward to the next steps in development," Hey said.
James Fisher said it would have access to Uptime’s full suite of capabilities, including its recently announced Digital Ecosystem, "ensuring maximum safety and efficiency of operation through autonomous operations including digital tracking of personnel and equipment through the logistic system on to the wind turbine, including use of automated pallet robots."
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