Conveyor belt speeds up man overboard rescue

UK startup Zelim have developed the Swift Rescue Conveyor system that aims to reduce the time required to recover individuals who fall overboard from ships.

From Superinnovators 24/07/24

Swift Rescue Conveyor system harbour-side test. Credit: Zelim

This system, tested around Vattenfall’s Ramsgate offshore wind farm cluster last year, seeks to enhance safety in the rapidly expanding offshore wind industry.

It operates like a conveyor belt that can be quickly deployed into the water, pulling individuals to safety aboard the vessel.

According to Zelim, Swift was around four times faster than traditional methods in harbour-side trials and twenty times faster offshore.

“Keeping people safe is Vattenfall’s top priority so I was delighted that we were able to contribute to the successful demonstration of Zelim’s Swift system for man overboard situations,” said Sarah Bray, Emergency Response Officer at Vattenfall.

“It was great to see that it was both quicker and easier to use, vital if the worst happens offshore.”

Swedish power company Vattenfall operates more than 1,300 wind turbines with a total installed capacity of approximately 6.1 GW across five countries in Europe.

Swift Rescue Conveyor system offshore test. Credit: Zelim

In harbour-side tests, the Swift system recovered manikins in approximately 30 seconds, compared to over two minutes for conventional systems.

Offshore trials, conducted in high winds and rough seas, showed the Swift system recovering a manikin in 28 seconds, while conventional equipment took over nine minutes.

The Swift Rescue Conveyor can be integrated into new crew transfer vessels or retrofitted onto existing ones.

This versatility makes it particularly suitable for the offshore wind industry, where transferring technicians to turbines can be hazardous, according to the company.

The demonstration was organised in collaboration offshore logistics company CWIND and UK innovation centre Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult.

Hamish MacDonald, Project Engineer at ORE Catapult, commented, “Ensuring the wellbeing of everyone offshore is vital, and Zelim is playing an important role for health and safety in the offshore wind sector.”