Damen Shipyards Group has finished sea trials of its first Fast Crew Supplier (FCS) 7011 vessel off the Turkish coast.
The trials come after five years of market consultation, research, design, engineering and construction.
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The vessel is now ready to travel to the Netherlands, where the installation of an Ampelmann gangway system will take place.
Thereafter, the FCS 7011 will prepare for proof of concept trials in the North Sea.
Damen and Ampelmann have also teamed up for the commercialisation of the vessel.
The 74m, 40k, 122-passenger, crew change vessel will soon be available in the offshore energy market.
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By GlobalDataIncorporating the Ampelmann walk-to-work system, the FCS 7011 has been developed in consultation with maritime research institutes and the offshore energy industry.
Damen claimed that it provides a feasible alternative to helicopter transport and has already garnered interest from clients in the southern North Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, Brazil and West Africa.
The vessel features a Damen Sea Axe bow and interceptors located in the ship’s stern to reduce sensations of motion while at sea.
It also incorporates a range of other motion-compensating technologies.
Some of these solutions include a Kongsberg DP system, customised Ampelmann gangway and VEEM gyrostabiliser, which function alongside the MTU main engines, Hamilton waterjets, Danfoss shaft generators, Reintjes gearboxes and Veth bow thrusters.
In January, Damen first launched the FCS 7011 into the water at Damen Shipyards Antalya in Turkey.
