MacGregor has completed certification testing for floating-to-floating personnel transfers using its Horizon V4 active motion-compensated gangway system, marking a development in offshore access operations between independently moving vessels.
The validation was independently certified by DNV after a Sea Acceptance Test involving transfers between a Commissioning Service Operation Vessel and a Floating Production Storage and Offloading unit. The trial confirmed safe personnel movement between two floating assets operating in open-water conditions.
Personnel transfer between moving offshore assets remains a challenging operation, especially when sea conditions change quickly and vessel motion shifts within seconds.
According to MacGregor, the Horizon V4 system uses LiDAR-based relative motion tracking to monitor vessel movement in real time and compensate for motion during transfer operations. The company said the technology can support safer offshore access and help reduce weather-related downtime.
Bluewater Energy Services, Edda Wind, and Norwind Offshore supported operational planning and offshore execution during the sea trial.
The certification expands the operational scope of motion-compensated gangways across offshore oil and gas projects and the growing floating wind sector, where safe access between offshore assets remains a key requirement.
