Palfinger unveils new transfer system for offshore personnel

(SALZBURG, Austria) — At Nor-Shipping 2023, Palfinger Marine will for the first time showcase a model of the new, fully 3D-compensated offshore passenger transfer system (OPTS).

Designed specifically for marine applications, the OPTS facilitates the safe and efficient transfer of people and cargo between a vessel and an offshore installation such as a wind turbine or drilling platform. To take on the booming market of offshore transfer systems while considering the need for standardized, cost-competitive and weight-optimized solutions for the offshore wind industry, Palfinger has been intensively working on an updated version of the OPTS with an improved design and enhanced functions.

Palfinger Marine photo

At Nor-Shipping 2023, which will take place in Oslo, Norway, from June 6 to June 9, visitors will get an exclusive first glimpse of the new OPTS. Currently, Palfinger has three units of the OPTS in production and the first unit will be finished within the first quarter of 2024.

The system is an excellent tool to service offshore installations or perform decommissioning work offshore. As a fully 3D-compensated system it can also be installed on crew transfer vessels (CTV) and service operation vessels (SOV), enabling personnel transfers with an safe working load (SWL) of 1,322 pounds (600 kilograms) and a cargo lift capacity of up to 2,204 pounds (1,000 kg). The system has been designed and built according to the norms for offshore gangways (DNV-ST-0358) and offshore cranes (DNV-ST-0378).

The OPTS comes in two variations – either as a fixed installed or mobile unit. The mobile OPTS is mounted on a support frame that can be connected to the deck. The fixed installed OPTS is designed for permanent use on a vessel.

For further information about OPTS, visit the Palfinger Marine booth D03-37 at the Nor-Shipping exhibition 2023.

– Palfinger Marine

By Rich Miller