MacGregor has secured DNV certification for the floating-to-floating personnel transfer capability of its Horizon gangway, enabling a motion-compensated connection between two vessels moving independently at sea.
DNV issued the certification in accordance with DNV-ST-0358 after the gangway completed a sea acceptance test. The approval extends the Horizon platform to operations where personnel cannot transfer via a fixed landing structure.
The capability is applicable to FPSOs, floating rigs, floating wind arrays and offshore service fleets. It allows personnel transfers and service campaigns to be carried out between vessels offshore rather than requiring access through a fixed structure or a port call.
For floating-to-floating transfers, a dedicated flap is installed at the end of the Horizon gangway in place of the docking head normally used for connections to fixed structures.
Relative movement between the two vessels is measured using LiDAR. The resulting data is supplied to the gangway’s motion compensation system, which manages the connection while both vessels remain in motion.
The floating-to-floating function is being offered as an extension of the existing Horizon gangway family rather than as a separate product. MacGregor said existing Horizon units can be retrofitted or upgraded with the capability while retaining the same control philosophy and without a separate qualification process.
Prateek Sadhana, MacGregor Product Owner, Walk-to-Work Gangways, said the system allows crew changes and vessel-to-vessel service work to be arranged around offshore operating schedules. He also identified floating wind as an application where personnel access is required without a fixed structure for the gangway to connect to.
Sadhana said DNV certification provides owners, charterers and insurers with independent verification when planning vessel-to-vessel operations and confirms that the equipment has been designed, tested and certified for this type of transfer.
MacGregor will present the floating-to-floating capability at ONS 2026 in Stavanger from 24 to 27 August 2026 at Hall 5, Stand 5540.
