Press releases and relevant publications
April 2010 - Ampelmann builds the third system
March 2010 - Ampelmann pitch for ICT Delta startersprijs
February 2010 - Ampelmann performes successful offshore demonstration
October 2009 - Ampelmann Editorial Holland Shipbuilding Oct 2009
September 2nd 2009 - FLOW Business plan handed over on Ampelmann
August 11th 2009 - Jumbo Javelin with Ampelmann II sailing out
Press release May 15th: installing wind turbines off the coast of England
May 5th 2009 - UK HSE formulates law to 'walk to work' vessels
February 24th 2009 - Ampelmann Editorial Offshore Support Journal 2009
April 2010 - Ampelmann builds the third system
On April 27th 2010 the inauguration of Ampelmann A-03 took place at the new production facility at the RDM yard in Rotterdam. The Ampelmann A-03 has been built in six weeks time from the moment the first components were delivered at the yard, a new record. The biggest improvement with the previous Ampelmann is the fact that the control cabinets are now mounted on the Ampelmann frame itself, saving a 10 ft container and a lot of wiring. The day after the A-03 was inaugurated, it was mobilized to its first customer to provide access to Wind Turbines in the North Sea.
Building the third Ampelmann System
March 2010 - Ampelmann pitch for ICT Delta startersprijs in Rotterdam
With an electrical demo version of the Ampelmann, the P-type, the Ampelmann team was present at the ICT Delta 2010 conference on March 18th in the Beurs-WTC in Rotterdam. On this day, the ICT Delta startersprijs was going to be awarded to a Dutch startup company with a promising business concept and an innovative product in which ICT plays an important role. Ampelmann pitched for the price by means of a presentation at the conference and by means of the follwoing video that was also published on the ICT Delta website:
Ampelmann pitch for ICT Delta startersprijs
February 2010 - Ampelmann performs successful offshore demonstration
On Friday the 19th of February 2010, the Ampelmann company had organized an offshore demonstration of the Ampelmann system. For the demonstration the Ampelmann system was mounted on the Multi Purpose Offshore Support Vessel the Normand Pioneer and as landing platform the Lichteiland Goeree (LE) of the Dutch Government was chosen. For a full report of the demonstration, click here.
Access to the Goeree platform, as easy as crossing the street
October 2009 - Ampelmann Editorial in Holland Shipbuilding Oct 2009
The October 2009 version of Holland Shipbuilding contained a 3 page article on the Ampelmann. A full version of that article can be downloaded here.
September 2nd 2009 - FLOW Business plan handed over on Ampelmann
On September 2nd, the FLOW-consortium handed over the Business Plan for an innovation program for Far Large Offshore Wind farms far off the Dutch coast to the Innovation Platform at the Heijplaat in Rotterdam. The Business Plan consists of an R&D plan and a demonstration offshore wind farm and was handed over to the Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs, Mrs. Maria van der Hoeven.
The Prime Minister, Mr. Jan-Peter Balkenende, and representatives of the FLOW consortium attended the ceremony.
In 2008, the innovation platform invited the Dutch offshore and energy sector to come up with innovative business cases for renewable offshore energy winning. This business plan should not only apply for The Netherlands, but also as an export product abroad. The offshore and energy sector joined forces and came up with the FLOW business plan.
The ceremony took place at the Heijplaat in Rotterdam, where the Ampelmann Company provided the ceremony scene: the Business Plan was handed over on top of the transfer deck of the Ampelmann I.
Former Prime Minster Mr. Balkenende and former Minister of Economic Affairs Mrs. Van der Hoeven on the Ampelmann
FLOW stands for Far Large Offshore Wind and has been established by a consortium of industrial partners and innovation centres (RWE Offshore Wind, TenneT, Ballast Nedam, Van Oord, IHC Merwede, 2-B Energy, XEMC Darwind, ECN and TU Delft).
For more information:
On behalf of the FLOW-consortium
RWE, Ingrid Pouw
+31 (0)6 83 16 95 70
Innovationplatform public relations:
Maria Henneman
+31 (0)6 11 37 65 50
August 11th 2009 - sailing out for a test in the Greater Gabbard wind farm field
Tuesday August 11th, the heavy lift vessel Jumbo Javelin with the Ampelmann II installed on starboard side, sailed out for a test in the Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm field off the coast of England. Passing Hoek van Holland, these pictures were made. See also http://marinelink.com/Story/AmpelmannonJumboJavelin-216245.html
May 15th 2009 - installing wind turbines off the coast of England
The Ampelmann, a six legged hydraulic platform, plays an important role in the installation of 140 wind turbines of the Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind project off the coast of England. On Friday May 15th the new Ampelmann system will be presented at the RDM Dock in Rotterdam with which the first 42 transition pieces of the wind turbines will be installed this summer. The remaining 98 transition pieces will be installed in the summer of 2010.
Stationary platform
The Ampelmann has been developed at Delft University of Technology and is now being deployed by the technostarter Ampelmann Company. The technology of the platform resembles the way flight simulators are controlled. The platform remains stationary by continuously measuring the movements of the vessel on which it stands on by means of motion sensors. These movements are sent to a computer that controls the length of each individual cylinder in such way that these motions are directly compensated. From the stationary platform service engineers can walk safely onto a wind turbine at sea, even at higher sea states. Last year, the Ampelmann has been tested thoroughly on several offshore projects. The new, improved Ampelmann system will be used for the Greater Gabbard project.
The Netherlands, a competitive edge
The development of offshore wind is booming. According to Jan van der Tempel, inventor of the Ampelmann, the Dutch, but also the English and German part of the North sea is perfectly suitable for the installation and maintenance of big wind farms at sea. "The large and accessible ports combined with a vast maritime industry give The Netherlands a competitive edge with respect to other countries. The flourishing and growth of young and innovative companies like the Ampelmann Company shows that the Netherlands secures and increases that lead."
RDM Campus
To house the Ampelmann systems, the company found space in the former RDM yard in the harbour of Rotterdam. The motto Research, Design & Manufacturing binds education and enterprise to create sustainable and innovative solutions for civil works, mobilization and energy. RDM Campus is a cooperation between Albeda College, Port of Rotterdam and Hogeschool Rotterdam.
Presentation
The presentation will take place on May 15th, from 3:30-6:00 pm at the RDM werf, Heijplaatstraat 21, Rotterdam. The official opening will take place from 4:00-4:15 pm. There will be time for questions / interviews during the reception afterwards.
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End press release
For more information:
Pieter Schols, Ampelmann Company
+31 (0)6 2182 2720
Marije Blomjous, press bureau Delft University of Technology
+31 (0)6 1401 5053
+31 (0)15 278 7001
Frank van der Zwan, RDM Campus
+31 (0)6 3126 4125
May 5th 2009 - UK HSE formulates law to 'walk to work' vessels
The UK HSE (Healty and Safety Executive) have finally set their official opinion with vessels carrying an offshore access system, such as the Ampelmann system, that provide access from a vessel onto an offshore structure. The vessel is not regarded as an 'offshore sturcture' and does therefore not require a safety case.
Application of health and safety law to "walk to work" vessels
- Operations notice: 80
- Issue date: 05/05/09
Introduction
This notice is to advise dutyholders of the legal requirements applying to "walk to work" vessels.
Background
A recent development has seen workers transported to and from offshore installations by vessel (walk to work) with accommodation being provided on the vessel. At the end of the tour the vessel returns to port returning the workers to shore. This notice clarifies which legislation applies to vessels undertaking this role.
Legal position
HSE's view is that although a vessel used for this purpose is providing accommodation, in addition to transport, the length of time a vessel spends at an installation and its itinerant nature means that it does not have a sufficient degree of permanence to constitute ‘standing or stationed' and does not become an offshore installation as defined by the Offshore Installations and Pipeline Works (Management and Administration) Regulations 1995 (MAR) Regulation 3. Vessels engaged in this role are not therefore regarded as ‘offshore installations', and do not require a safety case.
The activity of transferring workers on and off the installation will be an ‘activity in connection with' the installation and the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA) will apply to the activity by virtue of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (Application Outside Great Britain) Order 2001 (AOGBO). HSWA will also apply to the activity of providing accommodation for the workers while the vessel is standing off the installation (or installations).
When providing accommodation for offshore workers operators should ensure that vessels engaged in ‘walk to work' activities are located far enough from the installation, to ensure that they are not affected by any dangerous event that may take place on the installation.
Further information
Any queries relating to this notice should be addressed to:
Health and Safety Executive
Hazardous Installations Directorate
Offshore Division
Lord Cullen House
Fraser Place
Aberdeen
AB25 3UB
Tel: 01224 252500
Fax: 01224 252648
This guidance is issued by the Health and Safety Executive. Following the guidance is not compulsory and you are free to take other action. But if you do follow the guidance you will normally be doing enough to comply with the law. Health and safety inspectors seek to secure compliance with the law and may refer to this guidance as illustrating good practice.
February 24th 2009 - Ampelmann Editorial Offshore Support Journal 2009
For the pdf version of the editorial please click here.
