Specialist offshore film and photography company CHPV has had one of its busiest years ever, covering wind farm construction, an emergency rescue challenge and even developing a new training aid, among other projects.

​Using virtual reality headsets, the team at CHPV has developed a way for wind farm companies to train their turbine technicians, without going to the trouble and expense of having to take them offshore.

East Anglian Daily Times: The CHPV team – left to right: Julian Claxton, Alan O’Neill and Andrew PinderThe CHPV team – left to right: Julian Claxton, Alan O’Neill and Andrew Pinder (Image: CHPV)
The system is also being used to plan in-service maintenance and equipment upgrades, as well as to monitor asset changes over time.

At sea, CHPV has been documenting construction of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm. “Everything about the project merits superlatives,” said CHPV managing director Alan O’Neill. “When completed it will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm.

East Anglian Daily Times: A rotor star waiting to be loaded on to an installation vessel A rotor star waiting to be loaded on to an installation vessel (Image: CHPV)
East Anglian Daily Times: Engineers inspecting a blade hub Engineers inspecting a blade hub (Image: CHPV)
East Anglian Daily Times: Ecofriendly transport is used to get around the reassembly site at Esbjerg in Denmark Ecofriendly transport is used to get around the reassembly site at Esbjerg in Denmark (Image: CHPV)
East Anglian Daily Times: Precision guiding as a blade docks with the hubPrecision guiding as a blade docks with the hub (Image: CHPV)
“Our team spent weeks on board the Voltaire, the world’s largest jack-up vessel, which is being used to install GE Renewable Energy’s uprated 13MW turbines – currently the most powerful operational anywhere in the world.”

Back on dry land, the CHPV crew have also covered RWE’s RES Challenge at East Coast College in Lowestoft. Teams drawn from all over the UK, together with others from assets in Europe, spent a gruelling two days honing their emergency rescue techniques in situations ranging from accidents at heights and in confined spaces to abandoning ship and surviving at sea.

East Anglian Daily Times: Crew transfer vessels returning to portCrew transfer vessels returning to port (Image: CHPV)
East Anglian Daily Times: Blades loaded on to an installation vessel ready to sailBlades loaded on to an installation vessel ready to sail (Image: CHPV)
East Anglian Daily Times: Blades stacked ready for installationBlades stacked ready for installation (Image: CHPV)
“As if that wasn’t enough, the teams also got to experience the stress of manning an emergency control room and had the opportunity to try their hand at piloting a crew transfer vessel in the college’s ultra-realistic bridge simulator,” said Alan.

In 2024 CHPV will be starting its 60th year of filming offshore and will be looking to maintain its impressive 100% safety record.

Read more about the East of England’s energy industry in the latest issue of Insight Energy.