Kongsberg Maritime announced new developments in offshore mooring technology aimed at reducing cost, complexity, and environmental impact across the lifecycle of floating structures.
The company is advancing patent-pending integrated tensioning and remote pull-in technologies, focusing on minimising mooring components and avoiding active tensioning equipment in permanent systems.
The solution uses a vessel-based connection method that compensates for relative motions between floater and vessel, allowing safe mooring line installation in broader weather conditions with the help of vessel tensioners or pull-in tensioners. This eliminates top chain segments, reduces the need for floater-based personnel, and removes winches, which cuts topside weight, lowers maintenance requirements, and improves safety.
Kongsberg Maritime is also refining its tensioner technology to achieve precise mooring line tensioning. In combination with its cross-tensioning method, the company says high loads can be applied to remove construction stretch in fibre ropes without relying on bollard pull, reducing propulsion use and engine power demand. Fuel savings are expected to reach 70–80% for tensioning operations, though the exact results depend on the specific mooring system.
According to the company, the methods are relevant not only to floating offshore wind but also to oil and gas projects.
Kongsberg Maritime is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kongsberg Gruppen ASA (Kongsberg Gruppen ASA). The company provides products and systems for offshore, merchant, subsea, and naval sectors, operating internationally with headquarters in Kongsberg, Norway.