About us References Our founders are ex German Navy Officers that have developed over many years of experience to specialized Master Mariners with expert knowledge and skills in heavylift project cargo and dynamically positioned jack-up operation as Senior DPO. Their focus lies on performance oriented process optimization for fast success in highest reasonably possible safety in the offshore wind industry. Our Master Mariners have participated in several offshore wind projects, controlling offshore jack-up barges as Masters, OIMs or Barge Masters, driving heavy-lift jack-up DP vessels and overseeing complex installation works. They are experienced heavy-lift Captains, Senior Dynamic Positioning Operators (SDPO) and skilled ROV-pilots. They have acted as Owner Representative during ship-building projects of heavy-lift jack-up DP-vessels, have acted as Sea-Trial Captain and have set up the operation in offshore wind projects, including development of comprehensive project- and vessel documentation. They are recognized Training-Captains for offshore projects and train Captains, Officers, Crane- and Jacking Operators, DPOs and Heavy-Lift Supervisors. 2010 - dato we are consulting EnBW in the BALTIC 2 project 2010-2011 consulting VATTENFALL in the 'DanTysk' project 2010-2011 consulting RWE-INNOGY and RWE-OLC in the new-building projects 'Seabreeze 1' and 'Seabreeze 2' the designated Installation Vessels for the offshore wind projects NORDSEE OST and GWYNT Y MÔR 2009-2010 BARD OFFSHORE 1, our MD was Master of Jack-Up Heavy Lift Vessel 'WIND LIFT 1' 2009 ALFA VENTUS, providing Master (OIM) of Jack-Up Barge 'ODIN' 2005-2009 MTL, Tankeroperation Offshore Nigeria 2001 - dato several Research-Operation for various customers e.g. oil companies, hydrografic offices, treasure hunters, Greenpeace 1998-2001 Refit of Research Vessel GOTLAND 1992-1995 Project Development of Offshore Training Centre in Indonesia 1989-1992 CHINESE PETROLEUM CORPORATION, Training of Multi Purpose Offshore Vessel Personnel
Vessel Design Consulting Vessel Selection & Audits Specification Based on process requirements we assist in designing the vessel specification focussing on practical aspects to reduce downtimes. Basic Design Provide operational experience to adapt the basic design to process requirements and interfaces. Detail Design The devil is in the detail. During detail design assistance our experts focus on industry requirements and process optimization. Drawing Approval The complexity of special purpose vessels requires a high level of experience in their operation to identify interface problems and to design the vessel suitable for the very special purpose. Our experienced experts will support the owners and designers with their broad knowledge. Deck-Layout Optimized deck layout is the key for fast installation. It requires complete process overview and experience and interfaceknowledge which will be delivered by our experts. Tool Design & selection Be it spreaders, grippers, upending-, levelling- or grounding tools the design providing for smooth processes is crucial for project performance. Design optimization and selection requires hands on experience. Process Optimized Selection Each single vessel during the installation process (construction-, heavy-lift-, survey-, guard vessel or barges and tugs) has very specific requirements. Vessels may seem suitable but often disappoint if procured with out expert advise. Audits (e.g. CMID, OCIMF-OVID ) Before signing a charter party conformity with statutory, class and industry standards shall be verified by experienced and qualified nautical and engineering expert auditors to avoid costly surprises. Suitability Survey Mobilized vessels and tools shall be surveyed singularly and as a complete unit for their suitability for their specific job by hands on experienced experts in order to warrant expected performance. On-hire Survey A thorough on hire survey will protect the charterer as well as the owner from unfounded claims at the end of the charter period. It includes a bunker survey, vessel- and deck status quo documentation.
Marine Warranty Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment Feasibility Advice Scratchboard engineering and method designs shall be cross checked for their feasibility by experts with practical background to avoid showstoppers at a late stage of operation preparation. Consultancy to Underwriters in risk evaluation / due diligence We provide expert eyes to the underwriters and support them as independent third party in qualified and quantified risk assessment as part of their due diligence process. Statement of Compliance The warranty surveyor will issue a Statement of Compliance for underwriters and charterers after having verified adherence to design documents, statutory and class requirements. Certificate of Approval As appointed MWS we thoroughly check design, methods and external conditions (weather, port facilities, etc.) and issue Certificates of Approval on behalf of the underwriters based on the result of our process FMEA for Transport/Towing Sea fastening Lifting Load out Installation of wind farm components Etc. HAZID (hazard identification study), HAZOP (hazard and operability study) OHAS (operational health and safety) Our team may provide or assist in comprehensive quantified and qualified risk assessment, focusing on specific parts or the whole of an operation including interfaces divided into OHAS and asset risks. FMEA (failure mode and effect analysis) For new built DP-Vessels and jacking systems we provide comprehensive FMEA based on WCFDI (worst case failure design intent). As a result of these FMEA we assist in reducing severity and likelihood of faults by suggesting improvements during early design phase. During delivery of new buildings we perform FMEA tests as part of HAT (harbour acceptance tests) and SAT (sea acceptance tests). As basis of our CoA (Certificate of Approval) we perform FMEA with respect to process segregation and determination of weather windows and weather limitations. Loss Investigations RCA (root cause analysis ) Determination of value of a damage Survey of repair and improvement works for Cargo damage Damage to installations Hull and machinery
Quality HSE (health, safety and environment) Compliance Observation Our experts act as owners, charterers or underwriters on scene eyes and observe on a 24/7 bases adherence to rules, regulations, procedures and methods. Process Analysis & Improvement Based on the on scene observations of our QA we analyse processes, tools and arrangements and provide advice and guidance to the PIC (persons in charge) as well as to the design departments in the shore based organisation for optimization. Dynamic Risk-Assessment As part of the management of change process our on board QA will actively participate in on scene dynamic risk assessment to provide quick reaction to overcome obstacles during the installation process with strong focus on safety. HSE Concept We assist in development of an HSE concept taking site- and vessel specific requirements into account. Monitoring of Projects We provide 24/7 HSE on scene coverage on behalf of project owners. Risk Assessment We assist in general and detailed risk assessment during development of procedures and method statements as well as on scene dynamic r/a during management of change. Accident Analysis We provide incident and accident investigation services including RCA (root cause analysis) and advice for future prevention of similar incidents. Design and Optimization of training matrix Well selected and well trained personnel are the key to installation success. We assist in designing qualification matrix to facilitate selection of personnel and training matrix to provide optimum training to design a safely performing team, keeping budgetary requirements observed.
Dynamic Positioning (DP) Marine Operations DP Capability Analysis As part of suitability assessment we determine DP capability of the desired vessel and compare the result with the requirements. Auditing of DP personnel To assure vessels performance and to warrant the suitability of the risk assessment we audit vessels DP personnel as an on the job observer on behalf of underwriters, asset- or project owners. Marine Coordination We assist in developing marine coordination concepts and procedures and setting up an MCC (marine coordination centre). We provide qualified personnel for 24/7 coverage and emergency response. Guard-Vessel Services We provide vessel and crew for guard vessel services to offshore wind farm operators. Research-Vessel Services We provide vessel and crew for research purposes such as UXO (unexploded ordinance) clearance, bathymetric- and sub-bottom site investigation etc. We can provide hydrographical equipment such as side-scan-sonar, sub-bottom profiler, ROV (remotely operated vehicle) etc. Nautical Advisory Our experienced experts provide assistance in selection of logistical ports, shelters etc. with respect to optimizing the logistical chain and assist in optimizing processes to suite available facilities.
Document Management Our clients Review and Development Our service includes review and development of project documentation, procedures and method statements to assure compliance with rules, regulations and industry standards as well as statutory and MWS requirements. RWE OLC GmbH Document Management System We have developed a software tool DOMAN (document management) to facilitate systematic iteration and control during document development and review in several hierarchical levels.
Flexible Leg / Spud-Can Arrangement for Jack-Up Vessels The Invention The OFFCON GmbH has invented a Flexible Leg / Spud-Can Arrangement for Jack-Up Vessels, Barges and Platforms. In water construction works in harbors, inshore or offshore Self Elevating Units (vessels, barges or platforms etc.) in the following referred to as vessels are used. They are capable of elevating themselves out of the water using their own legs to provide a stable platform for their operation (e.g. drilling, dredging, erecting wind turbines etc.). The technology derives from the oil- and gas-sector of the offshore industry and has established itself in the newly developing offshore-windindustry. The legs will be equipped with following inventive functions: Conical indents at the lower end of the leg, that will increase the penetrating section of the leg upwards from the lower tip and at the same time provide sufficient guidance for the externally connected foot. (in the following referred to as spud-can ) A locking device (e.g. hydraulically operated bolts, giant threading or hooks) that will allow to connect the spud-can in various levels along the leg. The legs described above, when operated on rather soft seabed that would lead to a high penetration of the legs, will be equipped with spud-cans that will distribute the weight of the vessel over a larger area, thus reducing leg penetration. The inventive, patent pending spud-cans are designed so that they can be mounted or demounted to the jack-up vessel without docking and any other large effort. The legs can be moved vertically through them and use the spudcans in their upper rest as guidance. They can be easily connected to the legs at various heights e.g. by holes suitable for bolts that are horizontally driven out of the leg so that they can be taken down to the seabed with the legs. demonstration of principal flexibility of the invention
spud-cans The spud-cans will be designed so that the legs can smoothly be lead through them. They will be equipped with a reception for the locking devices that will fix them to the hull or to the leg or to both at the same time with simple means and without external assistance. Systems that have a pouch in the hull to house the retracted spud-can in a hydrodynamic preferable way may achieve this by using e.g. hydraulically operated bolts that come out of the hull into the spud-can. Systems without such a pouch can achieve this e.g. by adding a locking device e.g. horizontally operated bolts under the hull, hooks or giant threaded bolts lowered from the hull. These locking devices should be at least five in pentagonal order to allow the removal of one of them for repair and maintenance. If both locking devices (a) between leg and spud-can and (b) between spud-can and hull are engaged the system may also be used as lower sea-fastening of the legs. legs To absorb the bottom reaction forces more dampened than with a flat bottom of the legs and at the same time to provide for sufficient guidance of the patent pending spud-can design the legs will be provided with conical indents that leave a star-shape at the lower end of the leg as shown in the figure. To be able to fix the spud-cans to the legs these will be fit with locking devices in various heights of the leg (e.g. hydraulically operated bolts). This should be made so that: The first locking device is arranged in a way that the spud-cans harmonically end at the lower end of the legs for hydrodynamic reasons. They might even be as flat as the vessels bottom. The second locking device is arranged so that the spud-cans bottom ends just above the conical indents of the legs lower end to provide for initial lateral fixation and softer impact, using the special design of the leg tip. Any other locking device could be placed so that the vessel operator can adjust the height of the spudcans ideally for all envisaged sea-bed types with or without hard crust, soft or multilayered to optimize leg penetration and bottom reaction forces, including possible crushing of a crust with the own legs. The locking devices (e.g. hydraulically operated bolts, giant threading or hooks) should, if placed inside the legs, be situated inside the usually available water-tight lower section of the leg. An alternative might be to operate the locking device leg / spud-can from the hull through the spud-can. In this case a combination of both locking devices leg / spud-can and hull / spud-can might be considered. The operating interface of the locking devices should be placed where it can be easily operated at the respective leg position. Alternatively the locking devices could be operated remotely controlled from the bridge e.g. by use of a radio remote control installed on top of the legs. low impact, increasing absorption leg-tip