Floating wind

TECHNICAL CHALLENGES TO FLOATING OFFSHORE WIND

A new report analyses the technical opportunities and challenges for the floating offshore wind sector to overcome, as it moves towards commercial scale farms

The findings are the result of the latest work undertaken by the Floating Wind Joint Industry Project (JIP), the world-leading collaborative floating wind research and development programme managed by the Carbon Trust in the UK.

According to the report, despite Covid-19 related delays the global floating offshore wind industry is expected to grow from 74MW at the time of this release to 126MW by the end of 2021 with the completion of the largest floating offshore wind farm to-date at Kincardine, Scotland.

Many countries are considering floating wind, as it opens up new areas with high-wind resources that are not suitable for bottom-fixed installations, such as very deep waters. However, as outlined in the report, the industry has certain inherent challenges that need to be addressed in order to maximise the efficiency of commercial-scale floating offshore wind farms. These include: 4 Heavy lift maintenance: commercial floating offshore wind farms are likely to be installed in deeper waters, where conventional jack-up vessels will not be a viable option. On top of this, the relative motion of the turbine versus a floating maintenance vessel is a key risk that needs to be mitigated. 4 Tow-to-port: better solutions to safely disconnect and store all the connections when bringing the turbine back to port were researched, providing recommendations depending on the turbine platform design and the distance to port. 4 Mooring in challenging environments: both very deep and very shallow waters come with inherent challenges for anchoring floating offshore wind platforms, from selecting the most cost-efficient mooring system, to mitigating the strong dynamic motions of waves experienced in shallower waters.

The Phase-III Summary report outlines these challenges and summarises the solutions that have emerged as part of the projects delivered within Phase-III and a technological competition managed by the Carbon Trust and the Floating Wind JIP.

The findings come at a time that the floating offshore wind sector is ready to scale up, and industry participation in the Floating Wind JIP is also increasing as bp and Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc. have recently joined the programme alongside the 15 existing members: EDF Renouvelables, EnBW, Equinor, Kyuden Mirai Energy, Ocean Winds, Ørsted, Parkwind, RWE, ScottishPower Renewables, Shell, SSE Renewables, TEPCO, TotalEnergies, Vattenfall, and Wpd.

Aleida Rios, Senior Vice President Engineering, bp commented: “bp has always seen the benefit of partnership and collaboration, both in terms of technological advancement and delivering solutions at scale. In becoming a member of the Carbon Trust’s Floating Wind JIP, we look forward to contributing and furthering the advancement of floating offshore wind solutions, as we continue to grow our renewables portfolio.”

Yasuo Miyatake, Executive Officer, Tohoku Electric Power said: “Tohoku Electric Power is honoured to become a part of the Floating Wind JIP. In response to the growing momentum for decarbonisation internationally, we have declared the ‘Carbon Neutral Challenge 2050’ and we have been developing renewable energy, mainly onshore and offshore wind. We believe that floating offshore wind is a crucial power source for expanding our green development further. We look forward to working together with partners to tackle and solve the technical and economic challenges through the programme.”

8 Hywind Tampen

floating offshore windfarm is progressing well

A series of pilot arrays and demonstration projects have helped to prove the technical ‘‘ feasibility of floating offshore wind. Several national governments have announced dedicated leasing and support for pre- and early commercial floating offshore wind deployment

Sam Strivens, Programme Manager, Floating Offshore Wind at the Carbon Trust added: “A series of pilot arrays and demonstration projects have helped to prove the technical feasibility of floating offshore wind. Several national governments have announced dedicated leasing and support for pre- and early commercial floating offshore wind deployment. The main challenge for the industry now is a commercial one.

As we have seen in bottom-fixed offshore wind, our industry-led, collaborative R&D programmes have delivered significant cost reductions and de-risked technologies that accelerated commercialisation. Since 2016, the Floating Wind JIP has tackled the critical needs of the sector and as we welcome two new partners, we are confident that collectively we can deliver the same impact for floating offshore wind.” 8 Read the report at https://www.carbontrust.com/resources/

floating-wind-joint-industry-project-phase-iii-summaryreport

42m VESSEL ARRIVES AS DECK CARGO

A Damen SPa 4207, the second vessel in an order of four Damen vessels for the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard, has been officially handed over in Kingston, Jamaica

Construction on the vessel had already begun when the global pandemic struck and the rapid spread of the virus meant that upon completion of the vessel, pandemic travel restrictions made it unfeasible to arrange a crew to deliver her on own keel since the crew would not be permitted to return to their home countries once they arrived in Jamaica.

Not to be deterred, the Damen Services vessel delivery teams worked to devise an alternative arrangement. The vessel left Damen Song Cam Shipyard in Vietnam, not on her own keel as is usual for this model, but on board the BBC Congo, a heavy transport vessel.

The successful delivery of this vessel really came down to teamwork, collaboration, and ‘‘ everybody’s willingness to be flexible in finding solutions to the challenges of these times. It is always nice working with the JDF, and we are proud to continue our partnership with them

The SPa 4207 was loaded in Hai Phong Harbour in June 2021. COVID measures prevented Damen’s heavy lift team from being present to supervise her loading, but a local team was called upon to ensure the vessel was carefully loaded and properly secured. Once final checks had been made, the BBC Congo, and her precious cargo, sailed East across the South Pacific and through the Panama Canal, before arriving, just under two months later, in Kingston, Jamaica. On the morning of her arrival, the JDF’s new vessel was offloaded and, with a support fleet of smaller craft, was delivered to its base nearby.

Due to changes in travel restrictions, Rimmert Berlijn, Service Coordinator, Delivery, Damen Heavy Lift, was able to safely travel to Jamaica to coordinate the logistics and supervise the offload. Mr. Berlijn stated: “The successful delivery of this vessel really came down to teamwork, collaboration, and everybody’s willingness to be flexible in finding solutions to the challenges of these times.” He continued: “It is always nice working with the JDF, and we are proud to continue our partnership with them”.

The four-vessel contract between Damen and the JDF saw the delivery of a FCS 5009 Patrol in 2020. Another SPa 4207 and a second FCS 5009 Patrol will be delivered in the years to come.

8 The SPa 4207 was loaded in Hai Phong Harbour in June 2021

Aquaculture workboat

Macduff Ship Design recently celebrated the delivery of the Aquaculture, Thermolicing Vessel MV Kallista Helen.

The first of its type to be designed and built-in Scotland. The vessel, completed by Fergusons Marine Engineering, is the fifth to enter service for Inverlussa that has been built to plans from Macduff Ship Design, compounding a long working relationship culminating in the most innovative design delivered to Inverlussa yet.

The systems and machinery onboard have a high peak electrical load, resulting in a large engine room that spans over half the length of the hull. Propulsion is derived from 2 x Cat C32 main engines delivering a total power of 1300hp, the engines are paired with two ZF W1800 reverse reduction gearboxes. The shafts are connected to twin fixed pitched 1500mm propellors which are combined with low drag nozzles, supplied by Kort propulsion, to improve free running speed whilst maintaining a bollard pull of 15 tonnes. The vessel is also fitted with high lift rudders by Wills Ridley and a 250 Kw hydraulic bow thruster by Kort Propulsion which ensures the excellent manoeuvrability required when working in and around the salmon farm. Two Cat C32 generators are also installed, providing 860kW each. Smaller Cat C4.4 auxiliary engines are also used to power ships systems when the main generators are not in use.

With the ability to carry over 56m3 of fuel and over 40m3 of freshwater, the vessel has the ability to stay at sea for an extended period.

8 MV Kallista Helen