In recent years, we have seen an increasing demand for our services from the offshore renewable energy market.
As part of our energy transition model and in response to the increased demand for our renewable’s services, Helix designed, developed and built the new Helix IROV Tool. This new asset expands our service offerings in support of the offshore wind and power generation and distribution industry and can be used for a variety of offshore operations including boulder relocation, subsea debris clearance and more.
The IROV Tool when configured in boulder relocation mode includes a choice of grabs that would be sized to the requirements of the project. The standard size has an operating safe working load of 8 tonnes for boulders up to 2m in diameter.
The grab can be changed out for a larger grab with a through frame lift capacity to relocate 3m boulders weighing up to 20 tonnes. The smaller grab would be operated using the dedicated launch and recovery system that includes an A Frame for easy mobilization to a smaller vessel of opportunity. For projects that require a larger capacity grab, a vessel with a suitably sized crane is required.
The spread includes a control cabin, workshop, winch and spares to support the system offshore and is operated by a highly skilled and experienced team of ROV pilots and technicians to perform subsea operations safety and cost- effectively.
The 5-tine, orange peel style grab features a powerful hydraulic system to help keep any heavy load secure during transfer. The multi-functional subsea tool hangs vertically in the water and is operated by the ROV pilot who can finitely position the IROV using the on board, thrusters and sensors that include a multibeam sonar and a number of camera. Positioning is through an onboard transponder that gives the IROV position relative to the seabed feature and deployment position.
