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platform mounted on a standard barge. An offshore supply scenario was staged in the concession zone of the future wind farm, Rentel, in the Belgian North Sea. During an earlier test in the Dutch North Sea, the motion compensated installation solution was tested involving a standard crawler crane mounted on the Barge Master, which in turn, was mounted on a standard North Sea barge. Tests were performed in a variety of sea-states and mooring setups. With the Barge Master switched “on”, the crane hook and load hung perfectly still.


Mr Koppert says: “Wind farms are normally built by jack-up barges whereby components are loaded on the jack-up and then sailed to the location. But this is restricted because they can only take one or two turbines at a time. The Barge Master means it is possible to avoid leaving the field and returning to port continually.”


Crane operation at North Sea


than expected, with the hydraulic platform compensating wave percentages upward of 95%. Numerical models also showed that the system would be stable. The Barge Master can handle significant wave heights of up to 2 m. It is suitable as a motion com- pensation platform for any type of crane on flat top barges and vessels or for stabilising cargo during vessel to platform transfers.


During the testing period the team also found that the original 2 m maximum stroke for the cylinders was not enough and this had to be changed to 2.5 m. Barge Master decided to compensate at three degrees of freedom: roll, pitch and heave. “Even with enormous forces, it provides a very stable platform on the horizontal plane. We knew it was possible but now it was proven that we could compensate motions for enormous loads of up to 700mt.”


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Additionally, MARIN and Barge Master jointly developed a numerical model, which can show the performance of the Barge Master on any type of vessel. “We can run the program and predict the performance in any wave conditions. We can show potential customers the performance and workability and most crucially, can quantify this workability.”


Quantifying workability Once the tests were concluded, construction got underway and sea trials took place in the North Sea in 2012. Tests along with maritime contractor, GeoSea, were undertaken using both a crane configuration and also using the Barge Mas- ter as a supply platform. GeoSea provided a jack-up barge and all the maritime services. The North Sea tests encompassed an off- shore supply operation involving GeoSea’s jack-up barge, Goliath and the Barge Master


Wind farms Barge Master is ideal for the offshore, salvage, oil & gas industries, as well as for decommissioning. “It provides increased safety and workability during offshore lifting and supply operations. It is a flexible solution using standard barges, cranes and vessels and a low cost solution. Marine lifting operations up to 1,000mt can be performed safer, quicker and under more adverse sea conditions,” he emphasises. Its flexibility is shown in that the 700mt Barge Master is easily mobilised because it is fully containerised in only 12, 40 ft con- tainers. “It can be placed on any vessel and deploy any crane - be scaled up and down.” Barge Master is currently developing adapted versions to accommodate different uses. At the moment, a small mechanism using a cylinder for compensating roll, pitch and heave is being developed, suitable for a payload of 50mt and the company is also considering versions going up to 1,500mt.


Certainly the newly launched solution is making its mark in the industry. Clearly, the Dutch government also has confidence as it has been endorsed by the Innovations Office Agentschap NL and the government had guaranteed loans for its development. For the new applications, Barge Master is happy to return to MARIN. “For additional testing we look forward to working with the team again. It has been very interesting to work together with MARIN and see this pioneering product develop from a concept to reality.”


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