The Windgrip system was developed and patented by Windcat Workboats, the joint-venture partner of FWOL. It offers great advantages for the CTVs in regards to accessibility of turbines, efficiency and flexibility. The strong and efficient transfer system incorporates many safety and failure protection mechanisms. It wraps around the boat landing and increases the bollard push on the turbines up to 9 tonnes. This enables a safe transfer even with higher swells. Experiences that are made on the 29 ships that are equipped with the Windgrip system already show, that thus around 300 litres of fuel can be saved per day. As a matter of fact, the Windgrip system received the "Renewable UK Health and Safety Award" in 2016.
The positive experiences that have been made in real operations prove the advantages of the system
Increased safety - the additional grip on the turbines minimises the ship's movement and avoids an uncontrolled falling of the ship bow.
Advanced accessibility - due to a higher surface pressure on the turbines, that reaches beyond the power of the ship propulsion, the accessibility of the turbines can be guaranteed even with higher waves.
Significant fuel saving - in calm and moderate weather conditions propulsing power can be reduced without reducing the surface pressure and safety. This results in a significant fuel saving. (references available upon request)
Also, at ROV- and loading crane operations a better stabilisation can be observed. As the ship is moving less and the engines are turned off, pausing and resumption, as well as the usage and control of ROV operations were made much easier. This also applies for the transfer of materials between ship and turbines, that are operated by a loading crane.
