GPSJ WINTER 2023 2024 LATEST - Flipbook - Page 38
GPSJ
BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION
Giant off-shore wind farm selects
Winlet electric trolleys for vital
maintenance tasks
The maintenance arm of the world’s largest offshore wind farm under construction in the North Sea
has selected Winlet electric trolleys to transport materials and equipment for its teams.
align the Winlet electric trolleys with
the safe system of work developed
for maintaining wind farm assets.
“The transfer between supply
ships and turbine stands is the most
hazardous point in the process.
Having two wireless remote controls
greatly reduces exposure to risk for
the operatives involved.
“The modification of the trolley’s
load bed supports the lean and safe
systems developed to operate in a
potentially harsh environment, with
all equipment and materials held
securely and efficiently.”
Confined space performance
Dan Holgate, Area Sales Manager for Hird, left, handing over the first tranche
of Winlet ErgoMover Go Wireless materials trolleys to Scott Wright, Marine Lo
Hird Sales has delivered the first
six of 45 highly sustainable Winlet
ErgoMover Go Wireless trolleys
to the Dogger Bank Wind Farm
Operations and Maintenance base
at the Port of Tyne Authority, in
South Shields.
The Winlet trolleys, operated via
hand-held remote control units,
will be used to move essential
maintenance equipment and
materials between supply ships and
the wind turbine monopiles and
associated platforms.
Hird is the UK and Ireland
distributor for Winlet products, which
also include glazing robots. It is Hird
Sales’ largest order, to date, for
Winlet trolleys. Given the challenging
conditions they will operate in, it
is also testament to their excellent
capabilities and robust design.
38
Hird Sales and After-Sales
Manager Carl Cooper said: “We’re
confident these Winlet ErgoMover
trolleys will perform very well in
supporting the operational teams
managing a strategically important
energy resource.”
Dogger Bank Wind Farm is being
built in three phases. Each has
an installed generation capacity of
1.2GW. The combined capacity of
3.6GW will be enough to power up
to six million homes a year.
Its 277 turbines will be anchored
to the seabed in water up to 63
metres deep across an area of
8,660km², equivalent to the size of
North Yorkshire. The turbine blades
are 104 metres long. Just one full
rotation generates enough electricity
to power a UK household for two
days.
Bespoke design changes
Hull-based Hird Sales has been
collaborating with Dogger Bank Wind
Farm Operations and Maintenance
teams and with GMV, which
manufactures Winlet products
in Demark, to develop additional
capabilities needed for the electric
trolleys.
The Winlet ErgoMover Go
Wireless trolley has a modified load
bed to carry the unique off-shore
maintenance pallets. Winlet has also
supplied trolleys with two wireless
remote control sets.
This allows two operatives – one
on the supply ship, the other on a
wind turbine or platform gantry – to
drive a single trolley and hand it over
from one to the other.
Dan Holgate, Area Sales Manager
for Hird Sales, said: “The adaptations
GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SECTOR JOURNAL WINTER 2023/2024
The Winlet ErgoMover Go Wireless
has a 1,500kg capacity. Its fourwheel drive and steering provides
excellence performance in confined
space. Chunky, foam-filled tyres
help grip slippery surfaces and carry
loads over raised lips and ramps
Each trolley will be loaded in the
onshore base. It will then be driven
onto the ship, ready to be sent on
wind farm assets with almost no
manual handling throughout
Hird Training instructors are
leading courses to prepare the
teams who will use the electric
materials trolleys, including
maintenance base staff, ship crews,
and maintenance engineers.
Carl Cooper explained: “Dogger
Bank Wind Farm will be supported
by four maintenance ships. Each will
have just an eight-hour turnaround
for crew, maintenance personnel,
equipment and stores.
“It needs to be a slick operation.
Efficient and safe material handing
will be crucial. We’re proud our
Winlet ErgoMover trolleys will be
central to this process. It’s close
to being an ultimate test of their
capabilities and I’m confident they
will pass it brilliantly.”
www.hirdsales.co.uk