North Sea Windmill Parks
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North Sea Windmill Parks
Hi all,
is anybody there who have infos about the planed windmill parks in the North Sea? By now there are some German Operators out of Emden like HTM and NHC which operates for the owners with EC135 and Eurocopter Dauphin. Further Wiking out of Mariensiel with A109S. So what about Bristow,CHC, Bond or Dancopter.
Is this new market interesting for the big ones? Are there some efforts to get an entry?
As i know the parks should growing up to more than 4000 Wind mills in the north and east sea. A theroretical need of about 30 helicopters to bring equipment and mechanics to the mills is not a small market i think.
The difference to the oil industrie is the need of smaller helicopter like A109,EC135 or something else. But all with IR and good pilots
Anyway, share your informations with me....
is anybody there who have infos about the planed windmill parks in the North Sea? By now there are some German Operators out of Emden like HTM and NHC which operates for the owners with EC135 and Eurocopter Dauphin. Further Wiking out of Mariensiel with A109S. So what about Bristow,CHC, Bond or Dancopter.
Is this new market interesting for the big ones? Are there some efforts to get an entry?
As i know the parks should growing up to more than 4000 Wind mills in the north and east sea. A theroretical need of about 30 helicopters to bring equipment and mechanics to the mills is not a small market i think.
The difference to the oil industrie is the need of smaller helicopter like A109,EC135 or something else. But all with IR and good pilots
Anyway, share your informations with me....
A theroretical need of about 30 helicopters to bring equipment and mechanics to the mills is not a small market i think.
They were assembled by a crane atop a jackup barge, that lowered legs to the sea bottom so it was stable. So it is very desirable to install wind mills in shallow water as assembly is very fast and reliable.
Why would helicopters need to be involved in the wind farm to which you refer?
Mickjoebill
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They're building a wind-farm off Clacton in Essex and have at least one accommodation platform - so they might use one there. I only got a distant look at the windfarm from a Tiger Moth on Sunday, and the wind vibrated my goggles so much I couldn't see anything clearly.
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Why the need for helicopters on windmill farms
mjb - If offshore windfarms in Denmark are anything to go by, there is a need for a helicopter to carry maintenance engineers to at least one wind generator per day in a reasonable sized farm - say 80 generators. In shallow waters, wave motion builds up quickly and renders boat transfer as too risky for quite substantial periods of time; helicopters are therefore used to winch maintenance personnel to/from the nacelle to ensure the continuity of supply.
The next problem relates to the winching area - should it have a high fence around it as it is a "working platform at height", or should it remain open to facilitate winching without increased risk to the personnel on the wire?
Have fun!
The next problem relates to the winching area - should it have a high fence around it as it is a "working platform at height", or should it remain open to facilitate winching without increased risk to the personnel on the wire?
Have fun!
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In Denmark a company called Uni-Fly "pioneered" the winching on/off wind mills and they have been doing it for a good long while now. This is their bread and butter. Day in day out.
Bond have started last winter doing the same from Lowestoft out in the channel.
Both are EC135 T2's very very light. Single pilot with winch-person.
Why? Because it makes sense, they want those things to work at their optimum.
Have a look on you tube you should find a video by Uni-fly.
Bond have started last winter doing the same from Lowestoft out in the channel.
Both are EC135 T2's very very light. Single pilot with winch-person.
Why? Because it makes sense, they want those things to work at their optimum.
Have a look on you tube you should find a video by Uni-fly.
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A couple of questions for those of us unititiated into windmill operations - the video posted by Stoey shows a winching platform which doesn't appear to be present on all the windmills?
Also, the mill being filmed had its rotor stopped which poses the question whether when an initial drop is made are the rotors in motion?
Keen to know the details.
HM
Also, the mill being filmed had its rotor stopped which poses the question whether when an initial drop is made are the rotors in motion?
Keen to know the details.
HM
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Also, the mill being filmed had its rotor stopped which poses the question whether when an initial drop is made are the rotors in motion?
I would hope that nobody would even contemplate conducting winch operations when the blades are turning!
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I would have thought so.
Rotordompteur on here is the man to ask since it's his day job and might even be him flying the 135 shown in the vid above. But he is on holiday in the Alps at the moment. But you could always try and PM him.
Rotordompteur on here is the man to ask since it's his day job and might even be him flying the 135 shown in the vid above. But he is on holiday in the Alps at the moment. But you could always try and PM him.
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The process you describe - is it all done remotely?
The process is normally managed remotely. However, I am not totally familiar with the actual process in place. I would assume that good liaison is required between the heli crew and the department managing the remote controlling of the nacelle and blades to ensure that everything is in the optimum position and locked in place.
My earlier comment regarding the winching area came about as the Danish authorities wouldn't classify the winching deck as an "aviation facility" so it then came under the normal HSE rules and was classified as a working platform at height. This meant they had to erect a permanent fence around it, thus presenting a twofold risk to winching operations. The possibility of catching the cable around the fence and, worse still, the possibility of dragging the winchman on the wire through the fence if the heli has to dive off to one side for any reason. Thankfully for the ongoing heli operation there this has not happened - yet!
It certainly needs to be taken into account in the risk management.
My earlier comment regarding the winching area came about as the Danish authorities wouldn't classify the winching deck as an "aviation facility" so it then came under the normal HSE rules and was classified as a working platform at height. This meant they had to erect a permanent fence around it, thus presenting a twofold risk to winching operations. The possibility of catching the cable around the fence and, worse still, the possibility of dragging the winchman on the wire through the fence if the heli has to dive off to one side for any reason. Thankfully for the ongoing heli operation there this has not happened - yet!
It certainly needs to be taken into account in the risk management.
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I project manage the construction of offshore windfarms.
An interesting website detailing most UK and European windfarrms is:
4C Offshore Limited - Marine Consultancy, Market Intelligence and Geographic Information Systems
The majority of current offsore turbines are accessed by boat only.
As has been indicated by others there are helicopter accessible turbines and this is being considered for the larger, more distant from shore, Round 3, UK wind farms.
My personal view is that this is not the route the industry will eventually take for a number of reasons but not sure what the final solution will be. I just hope that a collision with a turbine or other loss of life is not required before a rethink is made.
An interesting website detailing most UK and European windfarrms is:
4C Offshore Limited - Marine Consultancy, Market Intelligence and Geographic Information Systems
The majority of current offsore turbines are accessed by boat only.
As has been indicated by others there are helicopter accessible turbines and this is being considered for the larger, more distant from shore, Round 3, UK wind farms.
My personal view is that this is not the route the industry will eventually take for a number of reasons but not sure what the final solution will be. I just hope that a collision with a turbine or other loss of life is not required before a rethink is made.
Windfarm chiefs look to fly in workers by helicopter
Anybody know any more about this? Who's involved?
News & Star | Windfarm chiefs look to fly in workers by copter
News & Star | Windfarm chiefs look to fly in workers by copter
WINDFARM workers could soon be transported to turbines by helicopter.
Engineers working on windfarms off the coast of Cumbria could be transferred by helicopter by the end of 2012.
Both Dong Energy and Vattenfall, which operate windfarms off the coast of Walney, have admitted they are looking at the possibility of helicopter transfer – effectively lowering workers directly onto the turbines.
Workers are transferred using adapted vessels but the energy companies say this method of transport is often subject to delays because of the weather and sea.
Jens Nybo Jensen, from Dong Energy, said the company was already in talks with a helicopter firm.
Mr Jensen said: “Helicopter transfer of technicians is more weather robust than transfer by boat.
“For safety reasons we stop personal transfer from vessels to turbines at a specific wave height. An unfavourable wind direction or current can even stop the operation at lower wave heights.
“Compared to this the helicopter is more weather robust and can access the turbines at up to wind speeds of 20 m/s. This method was used on one of the world’s first offshore windfarms, the Horns Rev 1, constructed in the North Sea in 2002 by Dong Energy.
“The transportation to Walney Offshore Windfarms is currently taking place with the two tailor-made service vessels, situated in Barrow. We have however been in contact with a UK-based helicopter service company working to develop helicopter transportation services, and assisted the same company in developing an operational manual for the Irish Sea region where our wind park is and allowed them to conduct practice flights to one of our wind turbines.
“These practice flights are to enable the helicopter company to gain Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) approval for helicopter transfers.
“Dong Energy are still investigating the possibility of helicopter transfers but it is unlikely to happen at Walney until the helicopter company is licensed to do so and when we are satisfied that it is a viable option.”
Vattenfall, which owns the Ormonde development, is also looking at helicopter transfer.
Bosses said they would assess the need for helicopter transfer on a “case by case basis” and may begin using the new method of transfer in the next 12 months but the preferred option was still vessel transfer.
Engineers working on windfarms off the coast of Cumbria could be transferred by helicopter by the end of 2012.
Both Dong Energy and Vattenfall, which operate windfarms off the coast of Walney, have admitted they are looking at the possibility of helicopter transfer – effectively lowering workers directly onto the turbines.
Workers are transferred using adapted vessels but the energy companies say this method of transport is often subject to delays because of the weather and sea.
Jens Nybo Jensen, from Dong Energy, said the company was already in talks with a helicopter firm.
Mr Jensen said: “Helicopter transfer of technicians is more weather robust than transfer by boat.
“For safety reasons we stop personal transfer from vessels to turbines at a specific wave height. An unfavourable wind direction or current can even stop the operation at lower wave heights.
“Compared to this the helicopter is more weather robust and can access the turbines at up to wind speeds of 20 m/s. This method was used on one of the world’s first offshore windfarms, the Horns Rev 1, constructed in the North Sea in 2002 by Dong Energy.
“The transportation to Walney Offshore Windfarms is currently taking place with the two tailor-made service vessels, situated in Barrow. We have however been in contact with a UK-based helicopter service company working to develop helicopter transportation services, and assisted the same company in developing an operational manual for the Irish Sea region where our wind park is and allowed them to conduct practice flights to one of our wind turbines.
“These practice flights are to enable the helicopter company to gain Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) approval for helicopter transfers.
“Dong Energy are still investigating the possibility of helicopter transfers but it is unlikely to happen at Walney until the helicopter company is licensed to do so and when we are satisfied that it is a viable option.”
Vattenfall, which owns the Ormonde development, is also looking at helicopter transfer.
Bosses said they would assess the need for helicopter transfer on a “case by case basis” and may begin using the new method of transfer in the next 12 months but the preferred option was still vessel transfer.
This is not new!
I can confirm that over three years ago I was aware that at least three different operators were looking at the concept of using the EC135 to deliver engineers directly to the "pods" of giant wind turbines off shore. I am equally certain that if those three companies were looking at using the EC135, then other competitors were probably looking at using other types too.
tigerfish
I can confirm that over three years ago I was aware that at least three different operators were looking at the concept of using the EC135 to deliver engineers directly to the "pods" of giant wind turbines off shore. I am equally certain that if those three companies were looking at using the EC135, then other competitors were probably looking at using other types too.
tigerfish