RENEWABLES

OPTIMISING SAFETY, A NECESSARY INVESTMENT

RenewableUK is delighted to work with Global Wind Organisation (GWO) to explore the topics surrounding safety and workforce training in offshore wind.

Safety is a priority in any offshore industry. It is one of the key standards by which companies are judged, recommended, and used, making safety records a vital part of any portfolio. For organisations looking to transition from offshore oil and gas into offshore wind – including manufacturers, project designers, developers and organisers, transport providers and more – applying the same commitment to safety is paramount. Global Wind Organisation (GWO) is a non profit body owned by the world’s largest manufacturers and owners of wind turbines who are keen to highlight that safety protocols and standards are not the same across the two industries. This means domain-specific training will be critical for a successful transition.

An accelerated transition

There is a growing number of traditionally oil and gas companies now moving into the offshore wind sector, with several major players investing heavily to enter the market in 2020/21. Net zero targets and government initiatives are encouraging and facilitating this move towards renewables, with many organisations looking to secure the future of their business in this new and highly prosperous sector.

To streamline and therefore further enable this transition, some re-training of the workforce is essential. Of course, many workers will already have some very useful knowledge and many applicable skills from their experience in offshore oil and gas – while these are certainly transferable, the domain of a wind turbine and one’s knowledge of how to work safely are necessarily different.

Domain-specific training

Of course, there is no need to start from scratch; workers simply need to build on their existing knowledge and skills to better understand how these relate to their new surroundings when moving into offshore wind. There are important differences between oil and gas and offshore wind sites that must be considered carefully when moving to the latter sector, which make tailored workforce training crucial for a successful transition. The message from the GWO is that any concerns regarding the cost of this training are far outweighed by the potential safety risks of not sufficiently educating and supporting the transitioning workforce.

Indeed, among the top incident areas as reported by G+ Offshore Wind Health & Safety Organisation’s 2020 incident data report was the turbine itself, which would be the main environment to differ most between offshore oil and gas and offshore wind sites. Similar findings were published by SafetyOn in onshore wind, who found that 65% of high potential incidents occurred on a turbine. For greater insight into safety issues and common hazards across the sector, there are calls for a system to collect data on a global scale using standardised methodologies, for which early-stage developments have begun.

To strengthen the message in the industry and communicate the importance of training designed especially for offshore wind, GWO is promoting a new white paper which clarifies how the known risks are assessed by the wind industry HSE community and how these

translate into training standards to help mitigate the potential hazards.

All GWO standards are created by the industry, for the industry, so evidence like this is imperative to ensure that guidance and educational programmes are constantly optimised for the sector. To date, more than 200 safety professionals from around the world have contributed in some way to GWO guidelines since they were first published in 2011. This is a tradition that the organisation plans to retain, continuing to use the latest risk and hazard data from the industry itself to create practical training for the next generation of offshore wind workers.

Significant potential

Not only does this ensure crucial safety standards across the offshore wind industry, but it also provides reassurance for the thousands of workers entering the market. Many more individuals will be looking for new opportunities as their old industries begin to slow down and the potential of offshore wind will offer an attractive allure for some years to come.

GWO has published forecasts for workforce training needs in target countries up until 2025, which predict that an additional 100,000 individuals will require GWO standard training to carry out a variety of roles in construction and installation, operations and maintenance of offshore wind projects. These forecasts demonstrate the level of support and investment in training needed to facilitate the anticipated growth in offshore wind around the world.

TECHX CLEAN ENERGY START-UP ACCELERATOR

Net-Zero Technology Centre launches applications for TechX Clean Energy Start-up Accelerator

The Net-Zero Technology Centre has today [23 August 2021] opened applications for its TechX Accelerator. Now in its fourth year, the award-winning programme looks to accelerate an entrepreneurial ecosystem of technology start-ups, who are paving the way in the clean energy space. Up to £100,000 grant funding and expert support will be provided to the successful companies that gain a place in the programme.

The TechX Clean Energy Accelerator supports companies developing innovative, transformative technologies that can accelerate the transition to a net-zero energy industry. The Centre particularly seeks to support start-ups with diverse founder teams. Technology focus areas for the accelerator include renewable energy technologies, green and blue hydrogen and other clean fuels, carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS), digitalisation and technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the oil and gas industry.

The 15-week intensive programme will offer up to 12 start-ups access to the Centre’s extensive industry network. Start-ups will receive support in a range of areas; from creating a minimum viable product and testing the value proposition, to securing field trials and pitching to potential customers. Additional guidance comes from the programme’s diverse range of mentors which include entrepreneurs, industry leaders and investors. The accelerator will continue to be delivered in a virtual format allowing for more flexible participation. This year, we would like to see 30% of shortlisted start-ups to be led by female founders or co-founders. It is an exciting time to build companies and technologies which can close the gap to affordable net-zero energy.

To date, the programme has delivered three successful cohorts, with 50% of last year’s cohort represented by start-ups developing clean technologies including a novel electrolyser that uses sea water to produce green hydrogen (sHYp) and bio-inspired, ultra-efficient direct air capture to remove CO2 from the atmosphere (Mission Zero). Over 33 start-ups have graduated from the programme, with more than 20 field trials completed and five companies having commercialised.

The online application process is now open for the TechX Clean Energy Accelerator, which will begin in February 2022. Applications will close on 28th November 2021, with places confirmed in January 2022. Find out more and apply here. https://www.netzerotc.com/techx-programmes/clean-energy-accelerator/

VESTAS INSTALLS V155-3.3MW PROTOTYPE IN DENMARK

Following the V155-3.3MW turbine’s first kWh, expected in early September, the prototype will undergo an extensive test and verification programme to ensure reliability before serial production begins in the first quarter of 2022.

Leveraging its continued focus on innovation and product development, Vestas has upgraded the variant to a 3.6MW standard rating.

The upgrade delivers an increase in energy production of more than 4% on turbine level depending on site-specific conditions, while maintaining siteability parameters.

It also features improved reactive power during dynamic frequency and voltage events.

Vestas chief technology officer Anders Nielsen said: "With this upgrade, we once again underline how we continue to optimise our technology offering with our commitment to innovation and product development."

Built on the well-proven 4MW platform, the V155-3.6 MW offers an excellent business case for our customers in the low and ultra-low wind segments globally."

The V155-3.3 MW turbine was launched in late 2020 as a 4MW platform variant optimised for the low and ultra-low wind segment.

The upgraded V155-3.6 MW has been design-optimised to enable an expanded market applicability, and it will predominantly be targeting low-wind sites in India and USA as well as a number of European and Latin American markets.

The V155-3.3 MW prototype turbine at Østerild will be upgraded to 3.6MW in the fourth quarter of 2021.

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