Vaisala has introduced the Vaisala Elements helideck monitoring software which, it says, enables it to provide the offshore industry with a comprehensive and scalable helideck monitoring system (HMS).
Integrated instrumentation
As part of Vaisala’s comprehensive HMS, Elements integrates high-resolution vertical wind profiling from the WindCube lidar suite, advanced lightning detection and both graphical and data forecasts from Vaisala Xweather. With three major updates, offshore operators gain visibility into current and upcoming weather conditions across their installations. This includes vertical wind profile data to support helicopters and crane operations, as users can view wind conditions directly from offshore sites, up to 300m above deck level, with Vaisala WindCube Offshore lidar. It also offers site-specific weather forecast data visualization and weather alerts with precise forecast maps for any location, and enables users to accurately track real-time lightning strikes and receive lightning threat zone alerts with visualization up to a 100km radius.
Offshore applications
With offshore operations demanding precise, immediate and complete data for maximum safety, Vaisala Elements is intended to empower operators, helicopter pilots, crane operators and installation managers to monitor real-time weather, ocean conditions and helideck status all in one secure, user-friendly platform.
“From the flight deck to the crane cabin or coastal control room, offshore teams need reliable weather insights to make quick and confident decisions in complex, ever-changing conditions,” said Mikko Nikkanen, head of maritime offshore operations at Vaisala’s weather, energy and environment business unit. “We fortified Vaisala’s HMS system to simplify one of the most weather-sensitive operations in the world to keep crews safe – no matter where they are.”
These enhancements build on Elements’ existing metocean monitoring capabilities, which comply with global aviation regulations and standards, including the UK CAA’s CAP437 and HMS Rev. 9c, which are required for moving helidecks by October 1, 2025, as well as NORMAM 223, BSL D 5-1 and NORSOK.
Elements Online is said to offer a secure, modular and cloud-enabled architecture with 99.9% data availability that adapts to various customer, site and regional requirements, enabling remote access to live weather and helideck data from mobile or desktop. The software supports data streaming through common communications protocols to cloud platforms and third-party systems while ensuring robust encryption, key-based authentication and verified security via independent penetration testing. Users can archive and share weather data for reporting and audits.
Deployed in hundreds of offshore installations worldwide, the Vaisala helideck monitoring system has been designed for offshore environments that demand reliable, compliant and integrated weather intelligence.
In related news, Vaisala was recently selected to modernize Greece’s weather monitoring infrastructure, operated by The Hellenic National Meteorological Service (HNMS). The upgrade includes two separate contracts – one for the installation of seven dual-polarization C-band (WRM200) weather radars and another for the deployment of a lightning detection network with 12 LS7002 advanced lightning sensors. Click here to read the full story.
