Safeway, a Dutch specialist in the design and manufacture of offshore transfer equipment, has been awarded a contract by Heerema Marine Contractors (HMC) to supply a Safeway Seagull type motion compensated gangway system for installation on the CSV Normand Baltic.

This contract marks Safeway’s first contract for HMC, and it is also the first time the Safeway Seagull system with 3D crane function will be deployed to transfer personnel and cargo during an offshore wind project in Taiwan.

Heerema was awarded a promising contract for a very large wind farm off the coast of Taiwan. The scope of work involves the transport and installation of one hundred eleven (111) turbine foundations as well as the installation of two large offshore substations. The installation work will be executed by Heerema’s Aegir.

The rental contract for the 28 meter-long walk-to-work Safeway Seagull gangway will commence during the 1st half 2021 for an initial term of up to 168 days, with an option for a possible extension.

“In recent months the Safeway Seagull gangway has undeniably demonstrated its ability to outperform other systems in a series of offshore wind farm projects, during both commissioning and maintenance campaigns. We have already reached record transfer speeds for the safe and efficient transfer of people and cargo with this type of gangway, and we are excited to be partnering with Heerema for the very first time and for the opportunity to prove to them our high-quality service,” explained Wijnand van Aalst, CEO at Safeway. “Obviously we are honoured that Heerema has opted to make use of Safeway Seagull’s unique features such as roll compensation, height adjustment, zero impact bumpering/hover mode and counterweight, ensuring unrivalled workability throughout the year.”

This ‘first’ W2W-project offshore Taiwan is a significant milestone for Safeway, marking the entry by the Dutch transfer specialist into another promising and challenging offshore wind region. Van Aalst: “Not only are we adding a new country to our portfolio, we are also gaining further access to the Asia Pacific region after successful jobs in Australia and Malaysia. Walk to Work operations are becoming increasingly important in this region and with our Safeway Seagull gangway type we can ensure maximum efficiency of operations for our clients.”