Delivering More with Existing Vessels: How Thrust Maritime's AHC Winch Expands Offshore Capability

Aug 17

4 min read

In offshore and subsea operations, delays are expensive. Vessel availability, weather windows, mobilisation lead times and changing project schedules can quickly increase costs and place critical milestones at risk.

Traditionally, subsea operations have relied on large, specialised vessels - assets that are often costly to secure, limited in availability and slow to mobilise. However, advances in Active Heave Compensation (AHC) technology are changing the way offshore projects are delivered. By enabling smaller, locally available vessels to perform subsea operations safely and efficiently, AHC winches provide a flexible and cost-effective alternative to conventional vessel strategies.

When combined with rental solutions, operators can mobilise faster, avoid significant capital expenditure and reduce reliance on scarce specialist assets.

Leveraging existing vessels with rental AHC technology can minimise downtime, reduce project costs and improve operational agility without compromising capability, safety or performance.

The Challenge

Many subsea operations require lifting capability rather than an entire construction vessel. Activities such as wellhead inspections, tree cap recovery, debris removal, flowline intervention, span rectification, mooring installation and ROV campaigns are often relatively focused scopes of work. Despite this, operators commonly rely on specialised offshore construction vessels, driving up project costs and adding complexity to vessel procurement.

At the same time, demand for specialist vessels continues to increase across the oil and gas, decommissioning, offshore wind and subsea construction sectors. This growing competition for assets often results in higher day rates, longer lead times and reduced scheduling flexibility.

Meanwhile, many Platform Supply Vessels (PSVs), Anchor Handling Tug Supply (AHTS) vessels and other offshore support vessels remain available within local markets. While these vessels are capable and readily accessible, they often lack the subsea lifting capability required to undertake intervention and recovery activities. As a result, vessel capacity remains underutilised while operators continue to seek access to specialist assets. A Smarter Solution

Rather than chartering a dedicated construction vessel, operators can enhance the capability of existing vessels with Thrust Maritime's Active Heave Compensation Winch. By transforming available vessels into capable subsea assets, operators gain a practical and scalable alternative to traditional vessel strategies.

The result is a solution that reduces vessel-related project costs, expands operational capability and accelerates mobilisation without the need for significant capital investment. By making better use of vessels already operating within a region, project teams can improve flexibility while maintaining the performance required for demanding offshore operations. Designed for Rapid Mobilisation

A key advantage of TM's AHC Winch is its ability to be mobilised and deployed quickly. With a typical mobilisation time of less than 24 hours for a single-skid installation and no manual calibration required, the system delivers a true plug-and-play solution that minimises downtime and accelerates project commencement.

This capability is particularly valuable for emergency subsea repairs, asset integrity campaigns, unplanned intervention scopes and short-duration decommissioning projects where rapid response is critical. In these situations, the ability to mobilise quickly can be the difference between capturing an opportunity and missing it altogether.

By reducing mobilisation time and simplifying deployment, operators can respond more effectively to changing project requirements while maximising vessel and personnel efficiency. Delivering Safety, Precision and Performance

Maintaining precise control of subsea equipment is essential for safe and efficient offshore operations. TM's AHC Winch is designed to keep loads stable relative to the seabed, even in challenging sea conditions, providing the control required for critical lifting and intervention activities.

The system protects valuable subsea equipment while improving the accuracy of load placement. This level of control supports safe landing of heavy assets on the seabed and provides the improved weather up time. The increased performance also enables operators to continue working safely in higher sea states, reducing weather-related downtime and improving vessel productivity.

At the core of the system is a fully integrated electric drive technology that offers significant advantages over traditional hydraulic alternatives. Faster acceleration, rapid response times and an ultra-low inertia motor design deliver superior Active Heave Compensation performance and highly accurate hook position control. For mission-critical offshore operations, this responsiveness translates directly into improved safety, greater efficiency and increased operational uptime. Australian Designed, Manufactured and Supported

TM's AHC Winch has been developed specifically for the demands of offshore operations and is supported by local engineering expertise. Designed and manufactured in Australia, the system is built to DNVGL-ST-0378 standards and engineered for long-term reliability in harsh marine environments.

Its robust cooling system supports sustained performance under demanding conditions, while experienced offshore engineering personnel provide technical support throughout deployment and operation.

For Australian operators and contractors, local design, manufacturing and support deliver an additional level of confidence and responsiveness when time-critical offshore projects arise. Proven in the Field

The TM AHC Winch has been successfully deployed across a range of offshore campaigns throughout Australia including:

Bass Strait subsea operations
Decommissioning works for Beach Energy
Cooper Energy decommissioning campaigns
Santos Barossa mooring installation support
Woodside subsea intervention projects

Across each project, the system has demonstrated the value of rapidly deployable Active Heave Compensation capability, enabling existing vessels to safely execute challenging offshore scopes while reducing mobilisation requirements and lowering overall project costs. Need AHC capability for an upcoming offshore project?