TTS and Ulstein cooperate on offshore cranes

JUNE 1, 2017 — TTS Group and Ulstein have joined forces to provide 3D motion compensated cranes to the offshore industry.

The collaboration has resulted in a contract to supply a TTS Colibri motion compensated crane for a newbuild offshore wind SOV project for France’s Louis Dreyfus Armateurs. Delivery is planned for second quarter 2018.

The new product combines TTS’s competences in crane design and manufacturing with Ulstein’s expertise in innovative motion technology and analysis.

“Two aspects make the TTS Colibri unique compared to other solutions in the market,” says Gilbert Rezette, managing director of Ulstein Equipment, a Dutch subsidiary of Ulstein Group. “First of all, our in-house developed Colibri system is a stand-alone add-on device to a standard offshore crane. It adds functionality, while the crane maintains its functionality as a fully-fledged offshore crane including deepwater subsea capabilities. But what makes this system truly unique is its ground-breaking anti-sway technology, which also allows the mitigation of wind induced motions which act directly on the load.”

The TTS Colibri crane will come in a range of three different sizes: 1.0 mt, 3 mt and 7 mt. The first contract is for a 1.0 mt version, where the crane itself still has its capability to lift 3 mt with a 10 mt retrofit option.

“Joining forces has enabled both our companies to offer a serious and commercially very attractive alternative in this market segment,” says Carl Herland, Sales Manager at TTS Offshore Solutions, a subsidiary of TTS Group. “Moreover, the Colibri technology is also suitable for retrofitting existing cranes, making it a viable solution for upgrading cranes already in service. Hence, it offers shipowners the possibility to create more flexibility for their existing fleet.”