25.11.2021

Delta600 completes sea trials

Dutch offshore lifting device company Seaqualize has successfully completed trials of its 600 tonne Delta600 Active Heave Compensator (iACH), which reduces the movement of loads by up to 95 percent in seas of up to 2.5 metres.

Together with testing partners Van Oord and nautical research institute Marin, the Delta600 lifted loads weighing up to 300 tonnes from a fixed vessel to a floating one, from a floating vessel to fixed one and finally from a floating to floating vessel. It completed all the lifts with a tolerance of just 50mm and with minimal accelerations and dynamic crane forces.
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The Delta600 was installed to Van Oord’s jack-up crane vessel

Ideal for offshore wind turbine installations or when lifting loads to and from floating supply vessels or barges, the company says the device allows contractors to carry out lifts well into the winter, autumn and spring months when seas are generally rougher.
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The Delta600 reduces load movement in rough seas by up to 95%

Van Oord innovation manager Wouter Dirks said: “The offshore tests showed that the unique technology in the Delta will enable controlled offshore lifts during challenging feeder barge operations.”

The Delta600 has now completed its full DNV product certification and been certified for use. The company has said it will begin work on a 1,000 tonne version - the Delta1000 - capable of handling the latest generation of wind turbine components. It also plans to design additional features, such as single lifting points for quick connect systems, and tugger winches for more precise control of loads.

The graphic below provides a representation of how the Delta600 is able to compensate wave movements to keep a load steady: