Macgregor newsletter spring2016

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Spring 2016

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Remote operators rely on good servicepage 2

MacGregor innovations serve booming offshore wind energy market page 8

Subsea cranes that realise their full lifting potentialpage 5

Remote operators rely on good servicePrioritising through-life equipment support is high on the agenda for MacGregor’s Global Lifecycle Support division; at its head is John Carnall, who explains why good service support is key to the long-term success of its offshore customers’ businesses

Effective training extends the useful lifetime of equipment; MacGregor can arrange worldwide training courses at specialist centres or on board a vessel

2 MACGREGOR NEWSLETTER, SPRING 2016

We know that it is impos-sible to entirely eliminate the chance of breakdowns. These can be the result of

human error, environmental conditions or mechanical failure. On the rare occa-sions when they occur, it is vital to restore normal service as quickly as possible. This is particularly relevant in the offshore industry where downtime is measured in millions of dollars rather than thousands. Some may question whether it is finan-cially viable to have one service engineer locally available in a region with perhaps only three offshore rigs. MacGregor’s answer is: can we afford not to?

Tough times in the market are putting pressure on some essential services. While others in the industry are looking to econ-omise, MacGregor is taking the opposite approach. It is focusing on improving its aftersales performance by investing in a number of areas; new customer service initiatives, training service personnel to the highest standards possible, increasing its global presence, and developing the use

John Carnall, Senior Vice President, MacGregor Global Lifecycle Support

of ‘smart’ technology. MacGregor’s Global Lifecycle Support division underpins this strategy for prioritising through-life equipment support and the highest avail-ability of genuine spare parts on a global scale.

Minimising downtimeThe most effective way to maintain and service offshore assets is through planned maintenance agreements, which ensure that equipment is maintained in good order at the optimum time, minimising the risk of accidents and downtime. It is all about who shoulders the greatest burden of risk, the customer or is it transferred to MacGregor through service contracts.

Our preventive and planned service products make it easier to schedule services; they guarantee that parts are in place and are very cost-effective for the customer. They also take a lot of the stress out of managing the huge service requirements for large fleets.

For preventive and predictive

maintenance, MacGregor customers can take advantage of MacGregor Onboard Care (MOC) agreements. We are in the process of developing a new MacGregor Onboard Care contract that will simplify service commitments for customers even further. It will be available later this year.

Remote diagnostic systemsIn addition to MOCs, MacGregor offers offshore operators immediate technical support services via OnWatch, a secure online remote diagnostic system. By their very nature offshore operations are often remote so this service can prove invalu-able for customers operating advanced offshore products, such as our active heave-compensated cranes, launch-and-recovery systems and module handling systems.

We are currently developing a new ‘light’ version of OnWatch designed for those operators needing trouble-shooting assistance for a wider range of offshore equipment. We will introduce this to the market this year.

The most effective way

to maintain and service

offshore assets is through planned

maintenance agreements”

John Carnall

3MACGREGOR NEWSLETTER, SPRING 2016

Local engineering consultants are the interface between the customer and

MacGregor

We have also recently appointed Paul Glandt as a new regional director for the Americas region to support the local marine and offshore industries.

Improving communicationsShips are mobile assets and one of the biggest issues today is that you cannot be connected to a ship at all times. A key part to our overall service strategy is improv-ing electronic communications. Cargotec’s strategic acquisition of Interschalt mari-time systems in March this year is a step forward in developing our communica-tion capabilities.

Cost-effective strategiesMacGregor will always try to repair parts, only replacing them if necessary. However, remanufacturing of parts is a growing trend in the offshore industry, and sometimes remanufacturing for rein-stallation can be the preferred approach.

We have now sourced specialist part-ners to carry out this remanufacturing work, offering the equipment back to customers on a ‘good as new’ basis. This can be an extremely cost-effective strategy for some operators. Lead times for the remanufacturing of parts vary depending on the component.

Safety is part of our cultureQuality and safety are integral aspects of all our deliveries and have to be our differ-entiating qualities in the offshore industry when downtime is so costly. We see that delivering a safety culture as part of our organisation is both an employee com-mitment and a commercial advantage. We want to be relied upon as a trusted partner within the industry. You can order spare parts over the internet, but you do not know about the quality of those spares. Insisting on genuine original manufac-turer spares is part of our integrity as a supplier.

Local availability of expertise Our local engineers should be the first line of intervention. We will achieve service excellence by raising the capabili-ties of these local consultants. Often a problem can be quickly resolved simply with an adjustment or the replacement of a sensor. Traditionally a service engineer would have been flown from the product company. They would assess the problem, fly back and then discuss their findings and potentially order a new part, which would then have to be flown out and fitted. This approach was thorough but slow. In today’s market we aim to make

this process much more rapid through the local availability of an engineering consultant with access to genuine spare parts. These experts will be the interface between the customer and MacGregor. We want to train and equip them so that they can deliver local services as close to customers as possible, contributing to the delivery of 100 percent uptime.

We are planning to equip our local service consultants with smart devices that provide access to all available relevant information, from technical data to parts availability. We are implementing this strategy in stages.

We do not need to invent anything new; we just need to be able to use what is already available to our best advantage. No one knows exactly what today’s techno-logical advances will enable us to deliver tomorrow, but I have insisted that all our products, new ones entering the market and existing ones, are fitted with – or can be retrofitted with – technology that will enable remote condition monitoring.

We have to be ready, our products have to be ready, because one day we will know the full potential of today’s techno-logical capabilities and I want to ensure that MacGregor’s customers will reap the benefits.

We see that delivering a safety culture as part of

our organisation is both an employee commitment and

a commercial advantage”

John Carnall


Subsea cranes that realise their full lifting potentialMacGregor’s new offshore crane overcomes the problem of wire rope weight when handling loads at significant depths; it combines MacGregor’s proven crane technology with Parkburn’s fibre-rope handling expertise

Recognising that the offshore market is continually extending its operations into deeper waters, MacGregor has, for some years,

been directing its research towards finding the ideal solution to help operators overcome the significant challenges presented by handling heavy loads in deep and ultra-deep water. One significant advance is MacGregor’s dedicated fibre-rope offshore crane, called FibreTrac. It allows operators to use the full lifting potential of the crane, regardless of water depth.

“The greatest advantage of fibre rope used


FibreTrac features a simple-to-operate

fibre-rope lifting system that employs

Parkburn’s unique technology

Key features of MacGregor’s FibreTrac offshore crane • Smaller cranes can do the work of much

larger wire-rope cranes in deeper waters• Reduced rope wear and greater efficiency• Suitable for retrofitting onto existing subsea

cranes• Available as digitally-controlled electric-drive

or hydraulic-drive units • Traction winch design minimises

heat build-up in the rope • Excellent rope spooling and storage

– both at low and high tension• Unlimited length/depth• No fleeting forces in rope• Can accept spliced rope and a variety

of rope sizes and types• Can accept wire rope with a change of

sheaves• Rope condition management system• Rope and sheave cooling • Highly efficient electric-drive version available• Perfect solution for integration on

new power-smart vessels

in the context of ultra-deep water load handling is that it weighs virtually noth-ing in water, so regardless of the length of rope paid out, it does not add anything to the load experienced by the crane,” says Ingvar Apeland, Director, Load Handling, MacGregor. “This is in com-plete contrast to the situation with wire rope, where the ever increasing weight of wire paid out limits the load permissible in relation to depth. So we are talking about an important advance for handling loads at depth.”

Combined expertiseThe crane was developed through a cooperation agreement combining MacGregor’s proven offshore crane tech-nology with the fibre-rope tensioning technology perfected by the UK company,

Parkburn Precision Handling Systems.“Parkburn has spent over 15 years per-

fecting the deep-water handing systems required in fibre-rope cranes,” continues Mr Apeland. “MacGregor recognises that by partnering with experts in specific technology areas, it can deliver solutions that exceed its own capabilities. We see ourselves as being able to integrate the best technologies available to deliver sys-tems with industry-leading capabilities.

“During our design process, we car-ried out a detailed review of drum winch options and soon recognised the chal-lenge of controlling the forces and fatigue induced by the spooler during high-load, high-speed multi-layer spooling opera-tions. The review directed us towards a traction-type device. However, conven-tional traction winch systems posed other

issues such as size, weight and an aggres-sive de-tensioning profile, which lead us to look for other options.

“The result was the MacGregor FibreTrac, which overcomes the issues of handling fibre rope and features a simple-to-operate fibre-rope lifting system that employs Parkburn’s unique technology.”

FibreTrac’s traction winch consists of two interlocking drums slightly angled and offset in relation to each other. The drum geometry creates a natural and stable helix without generating any fleet-ing forces, so the rope does not twist on the drum as it is gently de-tensioned. The winch system can be delivered with digi-tally-controlled electric or hydraulic drive units. Features include integral active heave-compensation and power regenera-tion capabilities.


MacGregor’s active heave-compensated gangway has

three compensating motions and offers operators the means of safely transferring personnel

in extreme sea states

MacGregor has continued to develop its active heave-compensated electro-

hydraulically-operated gangway to offer operators the ability to safely transfer person-nel in extreme sea states.

As standard, MacGregor’s active heave-compensated gangway has three compen-sating motions designed for the efficient and safe transfer of personnel to fixed offshore installations. However, to compensate for

extreme movements, it is now possible to upgrade the gangway to include active heave-compensation on the gangway’s pedestal to compensate for roll and pitch motions. There is also an option available for a variable-height telescopic pedestal for operations exposed to tidal conditions.

The advance is based on MacGregor’s three-axis crane technology (page 10). The system has a small footprint, and its unique

design allows the gangway to be used dur-ing all compensation movements and in all positions. To guarantee safety, it has multi-ple redundant, real-time sensors that work together with the control system. The maxi-mum length of the gangway is 28m and the minimum is 20m.

All MacGregor offshore gangways are fully compliant with DNV-ST-0358: 2015 certifica-tion for the transfer of personnel.

Three-axis technology advances applied to personnel gangways

The open design of the winch also assists with rope cooling, further assisting in eliminating the heating and degradation problems associated with on-load fibre ropes stored on winch drums. Importantly, it can accommodate non-uniformities resulting from splices in the rope.

Meeting market needsThe FibreTrac crane is initially available as a 150-tonne fully heave-compensated knuckle boom crane with the capability of reaching depths of 4,000m, but the tech-nology will be extended to the complete range of MacGregor subsea cranes.

The MacGregor fibre-rope technol-ogy is also suitable for retrofitting onto existing subsea cranes. “This enables an operator to upgrade its fleet without having to build new vessels. This in turn reduces costs in the industry; an impor-tant responsibility for all parties within the sector as a whole.”


MacGregor innovations serve booming offshore

wind energy market

MacGregor has developed a full three-axis (x, y and z) heave-compensation offshore crane, which is ideally suited for maintenance work on wind turbines and other fixed installations.


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The fastest growing renew-able energy sector is the offshore wind farm industry. The European Wind Energy

Association (EWEA) says that 3,019MW of new offshore wind power capacity was connected to the grid during 2015 in Europe, representing a 108 percent increase over 2014 and the biggest annual addition to capacity to date.

Wind turbine orders for 2015 were up on 2014 figures, indicating good growth beyond 2016 and a year-on-year increase of 75 percent, says the EWEA. There are currently 3,230 wind turbines installed and grid-connected, making a cumulative power generation capacity of 11,027MW; 419 of these turbines were erected in 2015 alone.

In the mid-term, the EWEA expects the total installed grid-connected capac-ity to increase in Europe to 12.9GW. However, it has identified 26.4GW of consented offshore wind farms in Europe that could be constructed over the next

Last year Europe saw a 108 percent increase in offshore wind power generation and a 75 percent growth in wind turbine orders; with a pipeline of long-term power-generation potential, MacGregor is well positioned to support this burgeoning market

decade. Of these, the UK has the largest pipeline of consented wind farm projects, standing at around 11.9GW.

MacGregor is well positioned to serve this buoyant market, not only in equip-ment deliveries to innovative new wind farms, but also though developing pio-neering solutions for their safe and effec-tive service and maintenance.

Securing the first floating wind farmAt the end of 2015 MacGregor won an order for Pusnes mooring systems for the world’s first floating offshore wind farm; Statoil’s Hywind pilot park in Scotland, UK.

Hywind will cover an area of just over 4km² near Buchan Deep, 25km off Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, on Scotland’s North Sea coast. It is designed to dem-onstrate cost-efficient solutions that will enable the commercial capture of wind energy in deep-water environments. Statoil says that the technology to be used

in the project has been tested for six years with excellent results in a demonstration project off the coast of Norway.

MacGregor is contracted to deliver a Pusnes substructure mooring connection system to each of the pilot project’s five new floating wind turbines. The ballast-stabilised turbine structures will each be equipped with a three-point mooring system employing site-specific anchors. MacGregor plans to complete deliveries by the end of 2016 and installation of the wind turbines is scheduled for 2017.

“This contract represents a step change for MacGregor in terms of entering

This contract represents a

step change for MacGregor in terms

of entering a new industry sector”

Jan Martin Grindheim


a new industry sector,” says Jan Martin Grindheim, Director, Floating Solutions at MacGregor. “The project hinges on applying proven technology in new appli-cations. MacGregor was chosen for the task because of its long history of design-ing and delivering very reliable Pusnes mooring solutions for offshore floating production units operating in harsh North Sea conditions.”

“Statoil is proud to develop the world’s first floating wind farm, further increasing the global market potential for offshore wind energy,” says Stephen Bull, Statoil’s Senior Vice President for Offshore Wind. “We are very pleased with this contract awarded to MacGregor. We are excited that high quality oil and gas suppliers in both Norway and Scotland are able to capture the growing opportuni-ties offered through new renewables growth.”

The 6MW wind turbines will have a total power- generation capacity of 30MW and provide enough electricity for 20,000 UK homes. They will operate in waters over 100m deep which experi-ence an average wave height of 1.8m. “To give some idea of the scale of the pro-ject, the wind turbines will stand at an overall height – from the seabed to the turbine blades – of around 258m, which is nearly three times the height of the Statue of Liberty in New York,” adds Mr Grindheim.

Keeping the turbines turningRegardless of the difficulties imposed by their height and exposed positions, all

wind turbines require regular inspec-tions and maintenance. MacGregor is at the forefront of developing technology to deliver this vital service in a safe and efficient manner.

A notable example is a first-of-its-kind offshore crane that has a full three-axis (x, y and z) heave-compensation system that can keep a suspended load fixed in position relative to the seabed.

The crane was specifically developed to be able to land containers of tools and equipment to small platforms at the top of offshore wind turbine foundations with little margin for error. These tools are used to install power cables and other apparatus before the rotating parts of the

windmill are installed.

“The land-ing platforms are about 20m above the water and they are only a few square metres, so precise load handling is necessary,” says Ingvar Apeland, Director, Load

Handling at MacGregor. “Although MacGregor’s standard active heave-com-pensation (AHC), supplied through a crane’s winch, compensates for a vessel’s vertical movements; a greater degree of precision was required in this case.

The crane is also ideally suited for maintenance work on wind turbines and other fixed installations.

“In addition to compensating for verti-cal motions with the winch, we needed to develop new technology to compensate for the vessel’s pitch and roll movements. If you can compensate for these motions, you can ensure that the crane’s pedestal remains

vertical in relation to the sea bed, so that it is parallel to the windmill structure.”

MacGregor’s solution involves hydrau-lically tilting the crane’s foundation. The crane has an outer steel foundation welded to the deck at the centre line of the vessel. “Although all areas of the ves-sel experience the same angular move-ments in a seaway, positioning the crane at the centre of the vessel minimises the actual physical displacement of the crane and its load,” explains Mr Apeland.

The fixed foundation is connected to an internal foundation system sup-ported by a hydraulically-actuated two-directional motion compensation system employing four high-speed hydraulic cylinders. These cylinders are arranged in two pairs; one pair is sufficient to provide full system functionality, so this provides a good level of redundancy. Each cylin-der is fitted with a positioning sensor, to provide real-time feedback to the control system.

The crane has a safe working load of five tonnes at a 25m outreach and features a telescopic jib, operated by a hydraulic cylinder system, to achieve the required combination of lifting height and com-pactness when not in use.

A motion reference unit (MRU) is the primary sensor for calculating heave motion for the winch. In addition, a second MRU is used for pedestal compensation.

The jib’s luffing and slewing controls remain fully functional with the three-axis compensation activated, making it possible to maintain precise load positioning without shutting down the compensation mode or moving the vessel. “While a similar operational end result might have been achieved making use of the crane’s luffing and slewing functions to control the position of the head of the jib, it would have resulted in a more

The wind turbines will stand at an overall height – from the seabed to the turbine blades – of around 258m, which is nearly three times the height of the Statue of Liberty in New York”Jan Martin Grindheim


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complex solution and it would have been difficult to achieve the required speed of response.”

“In today’s economic climate the need for cost savings is driving some owners

to look for lower cost solutions that com-promise on optimal performance. In this challenging climate, MacGregor recog-nises that any investment must deliver distinct operational advantages,” adds

Mr Apeland. “The three-axis heave-com-pensated subsea crane does exactly that, offering safe, quick, accurate load han-dling and unique operational capabilities, even in high sea states.”

MacGregor was chosen for the project because of its long history of designing and delivering very reliable

Pusnes mooring solutions for offshore floating production units operating in

harsh North Sea conditions


MacGregorTel: +358-20-777 [email protected] www.macgregor.com

MERCHANT SHIPS Auxiliary and MachinerySystems MacGregor Hatlapa GmbH & Co. KGTornescher Weg 5-725436 Uetersen, GermanyTel: +49-4122-7110• +49-172-981 [email protected]

MacGregor Norway AS368 Skilsøveien, Pusnes, NO-4818 Faervik, Norway Tel: + 47-370-873 [email protected]

MacGregor Norway ASDokkveien 10, PorsgrunnPO Box 1714NO-3998 PorsgrunnNorwayTel: +47-35-93 12 [email protected]

Bulk SelfunloadersMacGregor Sweden ABPO Box 914,Gesällgatan 7SE-745 25 Enköping,SwedenTel: +46-171-232 [email protected]

Cargo Material HandlingMacGregor Sweden ABSjögatan 4 GSE-891 85 Örnsköldsvik,SwedenTel: +46-660-294 [email protected]

Cargo Stowage & SecuringMacGregor Finland OyHallimestarinkatu 6FI-20780 Kaarina, FinlandTel: +358-20-777 [email protected]

Securing SystemsMacGregor Germany GmbHReichsbahnstrasse 72DE-22525 Hamburg, GermanyTel: +49-40-25 444 0lashingsalesorder@ macgregor.com

MacGregor Pte LtdNo 15 Tukang Innovation Drive,618299 Singapore Tel: +65-6597 [email protected]

RoRoMacGregor Sweden ABPO Box 4113SE-400 40 Gothenburg,(J A Wettergrens gata 5, SE-421 30 Västra Frölunda), SwedenTel: +46-31-850 [email protected]@macgregor.com

OFFSHORE

Offshore Load Handling MacGregor Norway ASAndøyfaret 15,NO-4623 KristiansandNorwayTel: +47-91-686 [email protected]

Offshore Mooring and LoadingMacGregor Norway AS368 SkilsøveienPusnes, 4818 Faervik, NorwayTel: + 47-370-873 [email protected] Offshore Deck MachineryMacGregor Pte Ltd 15 Tukang Innovation Drive,Singapore 618299Tel: +65-6597 [email protected]

Triplex ProductsTriplex ASHenda, 6530 Averøy, NorwayTel: +47-71-513 [email protected]

GLOBAL LIFECYCLE SUPPORT

AUSTRALIASydney Office:Tel: +61-2-4647 4149• +61-408-494 [email protected]

BELGIUMAntwerpen Office:Tel: +32-3-546 4640• +32-3-546 [email protected]

BRAZILRio de Janeiro Office:Tel: +55-21-3197-3844• [email protected]

CHILETalcahuano Office:Tel: +56-41-242 3505• +56-41-242 3505 [email protected]

CHINAHong Kong Office:Tel: +852-2394 1008• +852-9097 [email protected] Office:Tel: +86-25-8672 [email protected] Office:Tel: +86-21-2606 3000• +86-1380-1660 [email protected] Office (Hatlapa):Tel: +86-21-2606 [email protected] Office (Pusnes):Tel: +86-21-2606 [email protected]

CROATIAZagreb Office:Tel: +385-1-383 7711• +39 33 [email protected]

CYPRUSLimassol Office:Tel: +357-25-763 670• +39 33 [email protected] Office (Hatlapa):Tel: +357-25-889 700• +357-99-453 [email protected]

DENMARKCopenhagen Office:Tel: +45-44-538 484 • +45-44-538 [email protected]

ESTONIATallinn Office:Tel: +372-6-102 200• +372-53-018 [email protected]

FINLANDTurku Office:Tel: +358-20-777 4500• +358-40-5014 [email protected]

FRANCELe Havre Office:Tel: +33-235-247 299• +33-235-247 [email protected] Office:Tel: +33-491-095 252• +33-6-8599 0447fra.mrs.maintenance@ [email protected]

GERMANYBremerhaven Office:Tel: +49-471-78 041• +49-471-78 [email protected] Office:Tel: +49-40-254 440• +49-40-2544 [email protected] and Uetersen Offices:Tel: +49-4122 7110• +49-172-9813 [email protected]

GREECEPiraeus Office:Tel: +30-210-4283 838• +30-6974-300 [email protected]

INDIAMumbai Office:Tel: +91-22-6773 6666• +91-998-7034 [email protected]

ITALYGenoa Office:Tel: +39-010-254 631• +39-335-1394 [email protected]

JAPANKobe Office:Tel: +81-78-846 3220• +81-90-4387 [email protected] Office:Tel: +81-3-6671 8347• +81-90-2640 [email protected]

KOREABusan Office:Tel: +82-51-709-3777• [email protected] Office (Hatlapa):Tel: +82-51-972 [email protected] Office (Pusnes):Tel: +82-51-709 [email protected]

LITHUANIAKlaipeda Office:Tel: +370-46-469 855• +370-698-58 [email protected]

MALAYSIAKuala Lumpur Office:Tel: +60-377-828 136• +60-19-2615 [email protected] Office:Tel: +60-854-28 136

THE NETHERLANDSRotterdam Office:Tel: +31-10-2832 121• +31-10-2832 [email protected]

NORWAYArendal Office: Tel: +47-370-873 00• +47-900-53 [email protected] and Oslo Offices:Tel: +47-56-313 300• +47-56-313 300Offshore: [email protected] ships: [email protected] Office:Tel: +47-91-686 000• +47-91-689 751 [email protected]@macgregor.comPorsgrunn Office:Tel: +47-37-087 [email protected]

POLANDGdynia Office:Tel: +48-58-7855 110• +48-602-725 [email protected]

QATARDoha Office:Tel: +974-4460 7310• +971-50-4510 [email protected]

RUSSIA & UKRAINESt. Petersburg Office (Representative office for MacGregor Estonia):Tel: +7-921-938-0498• [email protected]

SINGAPORESingapore Office:Tel: +65-6597 3888Merchant ships:• +65-6261 [email protected]

Offshore:• +65-6861 3922 [email protected] Office (Hatlapa):Tel: +65-6562 [email protected] Office (Pusnes):Tel: +65-9231 [email protected]

SWEDENEnköping Office:Tel: +46-171-232 00Gothenburg Office:Tel: +46-31-850 700• +46-31-850 [email protected] Örnsköldsvik Office:Tel: +46-660-294 [email protected]

TAIWANContact through Hong Kong Office:Tel: +852-2394 1008• +852-9097 3165

UNITED ARAB EMIRATESAbu Dhabi Office:Tel: +971-2-554 1690• +971-50-4510 [email protected] Office:Tel: +971-4-4562 863• +971-50-4510 [email protected] Office:Tel: +971 9 228 2338 • +971 9 228 [email protected]

UNITED KINGDOMAberdeen Office:Tel: +44-1224-347 050• +44-7921-473 [email protected] Office:Tel: +44 1202 636080• +44-7557-001 [email protected] Office:Tel: +44-191-2952 180• +44-7768-334 [email protected] [email protected] Office:Tel: +44-2392-210 703• +44-7768-334 [email protected]

UNITED STATESChesapeake Office:Tel: +1-757-558-4583 • [email protected] Houston Office:Tel: +1-346-888 2030• +47-90-053-924 [email protected] Orleans Office:Tel: +1-985-892-9833• [email protected] York Office:Tel: +1-914-631-0700• [email protected]

Contacts

Note • = 24-hour service numbers Updated: 15 April 2016 For an up-to-date list, please visit our websitewww.macgregor.com

Documents

Macgregor newsletter spring2016