Offshore Wind Journal 1st Quarter 2018

1st Quarter 2018 www.owjonline.com

Journal

“Installed capacity in Europe could double to 323 GW by 2030.

There will be a need for a range of revenue stabilisation mechanisms�

Pierre Tardieu, chief policy officer, WindEurope, see page 40

contents

1st Quarter 2018 volume 7 issue 1

44 08

Regulars 5 COMMENT 47 BEST OF THE WEB

Area reports

17

6 Industry associations have welcomed a speech by UK Prime Minister Theresa May launching the government’s 25-Year Environment Plan 8 Apart perhaps from the US, Taiwan is probably the most promising export market for offshore wind energy, at least in the short-term 10 New York state governor Andrew Cuomo used his 8th ‘State of the State Address’ to outline plans for two solicitations for offshore wind energy, in 2018 and 2019 14 The Scottish Government’s newly-unveiled Energy Strategy – which sets a target for half of all energy to come from renewable sources by 2030 – has met with a warm response 17 France has made a significant commitment to offshore windfarms but still hasn’t built any. That situation is changing as floating offshore wind projects come to the fore

Operations & maintenance 20 Is the market ready for – and willing to invest in – a floating O&M platform?

21 Robots for use above and below the water can help to enhance operations and maintenance, and reduce costs

Turbine technology

40

22 Recent months have seen a number of important developments in the market, including a breakthrough for Seawind’s innovative two-bladed turbine

Foundations 24 Monopiles are likely to remain the most widely used foundation, but other types are coming

Cable-lay 29 Early 2018 saw further significant developments in the market for cables for offshore windfarms, months after JDR in the UK was acquired

Classification/certification 30 A new initiative is set to improve how industry predicts wind speed

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Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

contents Legal matters 32 Richard Booth, a senior associate at HFW LLP, analyses the new Yellow Book, the contract from the FIDIC suite most commonly used for offshore wind projects

Corrosion control 34 Experience to-date on Eon’s Arkona offshore windfarm project, the first use of a new corrosion protection concept, suggests that it is significantly less expensive than conventional techniques

Demonstration projects

1st Quarter 2018 volume 7 issue 1 Editor: David Foxwell t: +44 1252 717 898 e: david.foxwell@rivieramm.com Commercial Portfolio Manager: Bill Cochrane t: +44 20 8370 1719 e: bill.cochrane@rivieramm.com

35 The authorities in the Netherlands and Ireland plan to test offshore wind technology at specially selected demonstration sites

Head of Sales – Asia: Kym Tan t: +65 9456 3165 e: kym.tan@rivieramm.com

Control systems

Sales, Australasia: Kaara Barbour t: +61 414 436 808 e: kaara.barbour@rivieramm.com

36 A multimillion-Euro project will investigate the best use of windfarm control systems to maximise energy production while reducing turbine loads

Analysis 38 If a coalition government can be agreed in Germany it could be good for renewable energy, including offshore wind

Project focus 39 Construction of the Arkona offshore windfarm is progressing rapidly thanks in part to detailed pre-construction surveys

Finance 40 As the offshore wind energy industry has developed, so new sources of finance are coming to the fore, including power purchase agreements and hedging

Technology 42 As Philip Woodcock explains, non-destructive testing or ‘NDT’ is a commonly used technique in the maintenance of offshore windfarms – but do we really know what it is?

Service operation vessels

Production Manager: Ram Mahbubani t: +44 20 8370 7010 e: ram.mahbubani@rivieramm.com Subscriptions: Sally Church t: +44 20 8370 7018 e: sally.church@rivieramm.com Chairman: John Labdon Managing Director: Steve Labdon Finance Director: Cathy Labdon Operations Director: Graham Harman Head of Content: Edwin Lampert Executive Editor: Paul Gunton Head of Production: Hamish Dickie Business Development Manager: Steve Edwards Published by: Riviera Maritime Media Ltd Mitre House 66 Abbey Road Enfield EN1 2QN UK

44 Esvagt’s latest newbuild is a customised design that will use boats to transfer windfarm personnel rather than a gangway

Profile 48 The chief executive of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association, Harald Solberg, believes offshore wind has ‘huge potential’

Next issue Main features include: Area reports: UK, South Korea, Poland; Operations and maintenance; Foundations; Turbine technology; Turbine manufacturing; Corrosion protection; Offshore grid connections; Insurance; Trenching; Project focus; Turbine maintenance & repair; Consultancy service

www.rivieramm.com ISSN 2050-6694 (Print) ISSN 2050-6708 (Online) ©2018 Riviera Maritime Media Ltd

Front cover photo: Esvagt’s latest service operation vessel, Esvagt Mercator, was purpose-designed for the project on which it will work (photo: Cemre Shipyard)

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Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

Disclaimer: Although every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this publication is correct, the Author and Publisher accept no liability to any party for any inaccuracies that may occur. Any third party material included with the publication is supplied in good faith and the Publisher accepts no liability in respect of content. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, reprinted or stored in any electronic medium or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the copyright owner.

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Fresh thinking in offshore wind vessels We’re with you all the way

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Move Forward with Confidence

COMMENT | 5

ZERO-SUBSIDY BIDS NEED CASEBY-CASE ANALYSIS

A David Foxwell, Editor

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s 2017 ended and 2018 got underway, a lot of talk in the offshore wind industry centred on zerosubsidy tenders.

After zero-subsidy bids won earlier tenders in Germany, Vattenfall and Statoil confirmed that they planned to participate in the tender process for the Hollandse Kust Zuid windfarms in the Netherlands, the world’s first non-subsidised tender for offshore wind. Interestingly, Ørsted, which many observers expected to bid, having won one of the German tenders last year with a zero-subsidy bid, did not.

Describing its decision to participate in the zero-subsidy tender, Vattenfall highlighted what all developers know – that for specific projects with specific conditions, zero-subsidy bids are now bankable. But they aren’t in every case.

Vattenfall noted that Hollandse Kust Zuid has good wind conditions and there are “significant synergies” with its nearby Egmond aan Zee offshore windfarm. In addition, it said, the Dutch tender fits well with Vattenfall’s North Sea windfarm pipeline “and can therefore easily be incorporated in the current procurement and execution strategy”.

Vattenfall’s head of wind business Gunnar Groebler said the company had been “very thorough making sure our business case is strong” and the company was “well equipped to manage all the risks”.

“We combine a strong track record in building and operating windfarms at the lowest cost with an ability to handle market risk and sell electricity on the Dutch market. We believe that our proposal represents a very solid all-round proposition to meet the Dutch Government’s needs. The country’s strong commitment to renewable energy creates a stable regulatory framework. Along with support in terms of providing the substation and grid connection, these are very important parts of Vattenfall’s decision to bid," he said.

“Through close co-operation with our suppliers,” said Mr Groebler, “Vattenfall has made

tremendous progress in bringing down the cost of offshore wind over the last few years. We will continue to bring costs even further down, which gives us the confidence that we can build and run this windfarm profitably even without subsidies.”

Vattenfall’s talk about good wind conditions and ‘synergies’ tells you a lot about why zerosubsidy bids are possible but unlikely to become the norm, at least for the time being. If you happen to already have infrastructure such as export cables installed in an area where a new windfarm is to be built, that helps a great deal.

Much also depends on the tender model that is being used. They differ from one country to another, most notably in whether the tender includes grid connection or not. Under the existing UK arrangement, developers also have to pay for the grid connection, which they do not in the Dutch market. In the Dutch model, that part of the cost falls to the grid operator.

Then there’s the question of who is actually going to buy the electricity from a zero-subsidy windfarm. A developer needs a projectable, forecastable revenue stream. If you have a power purchase agreement (PPA) in place, all well and good, but the PPA market for wind energy is still in its infancy in Europe. Until PPAs become mainstream, developers will have to think twice about zero-subsidy bids.

As Dr Lee Clarke, chief operating officer at Renewables Consulting Group, said recently, without the benefit of subsidies – at least for the first 10–15 years of operation – an offshore windfarm will be exposed to the wholesale power market. Developers will be gambling that power prices will be high enough to provide a sustainable income for a project or that they can back off at least a proportion of the merchant risk with PPAs. As he noted, at Hollandse Kust, the winning bid will need to combine an ability to handle market risk and sell electricity in the Dutch power market with an ability to drive down offshore wind capex, construction and operational costs. OWJ

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

6 | AREA REPORT UK

INDUSTRY GIVES QUALIFIED BACKING TO PRIME MINISTER’S GREEN SPEECH INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS HAVE WELCOMED A SPEECH BY UK PRIME MINISTER THERESA MAY LAUNCHING THE GOVERNMENT’S 25-YEAR ENVIRONMENT PLAN BUT WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN EVEN GREATER FOCUS ON RENEWABLES

I

n the speech, the prime minister noted that economies at all stages of development are embracing new low-carbon technologies and a more efficient use of resources to move onto a path of clean and sustainable growth.

“Our Industrial Strategy puts harnessing the economic potential of the clean growth revolution at its heart as one of its four grand challenges,” said Mrs May. “From how we generate power and transport people and goods, to our industrial processes and how we grow our food – new clean technologies have the potential to deliver more good jobs and higher living standards. The UK is already home

Theresa May highlighted the UK’s leading position in offshore wind but did not mention other cheap forms of renewable energy such as onshore wind

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

to around half a million jobs in low-carbon businesses and their supply chain. We are a world leader in the manufacture of electric vehicles.

We are the biggest offshore wind energy producer in the world.”

Responding to the speech, Scottish Renewables’ deputy chief executive Jenny Hogan said “The prime minister’s speech reaffirmed the government’s commitment to decarbonisation and provided some much-needed context on the scale of the transformation that is underway in our energy system.

“2017 saw the UK’s first day without coal power, and government forecasts this week have shown our reliance on fossil fuels is expected to decrease faster than expected because of the continued deployment of renewables. It is right that the prime minister should also acknowledge the UK’s world lead in offshore wind, which as a sector has proven how far costs can fall with access to a competitive auction process.

“Clean growth is at the heart of the government’s Industrial Strategy, and its Cost of Energy Review concluded in October that renewables are the ‘new conventionals’ of energy generation.

“The time is now right to provide industry with certainty on its future plans for all renewable energy technologies – most pressingly, onshore wind and large-scale solar, our cheapest sources of power, which remain largely locked out of the energy market following UK Government policy changes in 2015.”

RenewableUK’s chief executive Hugh McNeal said “Theresa May is right to put the environment at the top of her government’s agenda, with action on issues like reducing plastic waste. The greatest threat to our natural environment comes from climate change.

Ramping up our use of cheap renewable power, such as new onshore wind, is the cheapest and most effective way of tackling this.

“Government must move faster and further on practical measures to protect the environment. Green policies are particularly popular among younger voters, with the government’s own opinion polls showing that 79% of voters under 45 support developing new onshore wind and just 3% oppose it. As the cheapest option for new power, new onshore wind in the right place can make a huge contribution to protecting our environment.”

RenewableUK recently gave evidence to the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee on the cost-effectiveness of wind, wave and tidal energy, as part of its inquiry into the Cost of Energy Review conducted by Professor Dieter Helm.

RenewableUK’s executive director Emma Pinchbeck told the committee “An energy system led by renewables is the lowest cost

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UK AREA REPORT | 7

option for the UK. I’d bet my house on renewables. A smart energy system can deliver consumers savings of £8Bn (US$11.1Bn) a year between now and 2030.

Questioned by the committee on how consumers can benefit from the rapid falls we have seen in the cost of renewables, Miss Pinchbeck said “Competitive auctions for CFDs are the best way to lock in low-cost energy for consumers, with offshore wind delivering cost reductions unprecedented in any other sector.

Miss Pinchbeck noted that, while the review is focused on the future, there are actions that could be taken now to reduce costs and provide certainty.

“It’s important to back the government in taking another look at onshore wind and start running a pot 1 auction. That would deliver onshore wind at under £50 per MWh – cheaper than gas. It is extraordinary that onshore wind isn’t allowed to compete for CFDs. Government could clarify how the £557M of funding for pot 2 CFD auctions is going to be spent, as that will help the supply chain to gear up.

“There is no certainty at the moment for small and medium wind and other small-scale, decentralised technologies beyond 2019. There was supposed to be a feed-in tariff consultation last year, but it’s been delayed.”

Miss Pinchbeck highlighted the Helm Review’s failure to recognise the fact that energy policy can contribute to wider economic, industrial and regional development.

“New projects have brought investment in regions across the UK, with £18Bn more to come over the next five years,” she explained.

“Those wider industrial benefits should be recognised. 90% of this investment is being spent outside the southeast of England, in areas where it’s needed most to create jobs. More than 50% of RenewableUK’s members are supply chain companies, and we’re exporting worldwide.”

Questioned on how new and innovative technologies can be developed in the UK, RenewableUK’s executive director said “We also need to look at technologies where there is potential for cost reduction to compete in the market, where there is a global demand for those technologies and where the UK has existing skills and resources. Wave and tidal energy are examples of those technologies – they need a route to market. The debate about the next round of energy policy for the 2020s has started.”

The transformative effect that renewable energy and offshore wind can have was demonstrated by an agreement signed at the end of 2017 that could gain access to the fast-growing Chinese

Final turbine installed at Race Bank The final turbine has been installed at Ørsted’s Race Bank offshore windfarm, with the project on schedule and due to be fully operational in early 2018.

Race Bank is located off north Norfolk on the east coast of the UK and is using Siemens Gamesa 6 MW turbines. Many of the turbines feature the first blades to be manufactured at the Siemens blade factory in Hull. Ørsted UK project director for Race Bank David Summers said “This has been one of the more difficult projects to execute, with challenging seabed conditions and a complex export cable route.

Construction has progressed well, and we’re right on schedule.”

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offshore wind market.

Some of the UK’s most innovative small businesses and universities are set to gain access to one of the largest offshore wind markets in the world, it is claimed, following the agreement between the UK’s Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, China’s Tus-Wind and TusPark Newcastle to work together to advance offshore wind technology co-operation between the two countries.

Under the agreement, the Hugh McNeal: “government is companies will: right to ramp up use of cheap • Establish a UK-China renewable power” Technology Growth Accelerator to boost UK SME technology innovation and deployment in the Chinese offshore wind market.

• Collaborate on the development of the Tus Offshore Wind Science Park and 500 MW demonstrator in Shandong Province, incorporating 10–15% UK content.

• Create joint applied research projects with high potential companies and leading UK and Chinese academic institutions.

With ambitious targets to generate 20% of its energy from lowcarbon sources by 2030, China’s rapidly growing offshore wind market is projected to be among the largest in the world.

The 10–15% UK technology content in Tus’s 500 MW demonstrator project, being delivered in close collaboration with the Dongying City Government, is estimated to be worth around £220M to UK companies and universities.

The collaboration agreement was signed at a ceremony at the British Ambassador’s residence in Beijing, hosted by the UK’s secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy Greg Clark MP, who described the UK as “the established leader in offshore wind” – a fact that, he said, is helping lead the world in transitioning to a lowcarbon economy and in meeting our climate commitments while we grow the economy and create jobs.

He noted that “international research collaboration and clean growth are the key to our modern Industrial Strategy, and the agreement signed today will help to advance co-operation on offshore technologies with one of our largest global trading partners, unlocking further opportunities for projects across the UK and the rest of the world.”

ORE Catapult chief executive Andrew Jamieson said the UK has a strong track record in innovation to drive cost reduction and operational excellence. “This agreement between ORE Catapult and Tus will enable us to bring this world-leading experience to bear on the emerging Chinese market, drive British/Chinese academic collaboration and provide huge export opportunities for innovative UK businesses,” he said of the deal.

TusEnergy senior vice president Yingzhuo Du said “After a dozen years of rapid growth, China today manufactures and installs half of all onshore wind turbines in the world. We are now at the start of such a journey in offshore wind.”

ORE Catapult and Tus were due to hold workshops early in 2018 to identify which novel technologies could be most applicable for development for the Chinese offshore wind market. OWJ

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

8 | AREA REPORT Taiwan

DEVELOPERS AND OEMS SET COURSE FOR FAST-EXPANDING TAIWANESE MARKET

T

he Taiwanese Government hopes offshore wind will fill some of the capacity deficit left by the three nuclear power plants it plans to decommission by 2025. It has set a target of 3 GW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2025 and 4 GW by 2030.

Natural gas, coal and other renewables will also contribute.

As Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s offshore wind analyst Tom Harries explained to OWJ, to initiate development, the government has made 36 sites available for offshore wind development. All of these highwind-speed and shallow-water sites are off the west coast in the Strait of Taiwan.

Site exclusivity is granted to the first developer to gain environmental impact assessment (EIA) approval for

APART PERHAPS FROM THE US, TAIWAN IS PROBABLY THE MOST PROMISING EXPORT MARKET FOR OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY, AT LEAST IN THE SHORT TERM, AS THE HIGH LEVEL OF INTEREST IN THE COUNTRY FROM EUROPE CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES

a given site before the end of 2017. A developer then has until the end of 2019 to secure a permit for the site.

On 29 November 2017 the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) announced that it had pre-approved environmental impact assessments for 19 offshore windfarms (final approval is still required and expected in the first quarter of 2018). Combined with three

existing EIAs, this amounts to 10.68 GW – more than double Taiwan’s 2030 target.

Mr Harries explained that early attempts to secure EIA approval were rebuffed, with the EPA citing conservation concerns over the impact of piling noise on white dolphins. To alleviate these concerns, developers have proposed adopting Germany’s noise level restrictions for offshore wind development

The Taiwanese government hopes building offshore windfarms like those in Europe will help replace capacity left by nuclear power plants

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

during construction.

However, developers face further hurdles, including securing a grid connection, signing a power purchase agreement and waiting for port infrastructure to be adapted to be able to support offshore wind construction and operations and maintenance activities.

“Experienced European offshore developers are driving the demand for projects, but there is also demand from domestic developers and from TaiPower, the state utility,” said Mr Harries. “In response to this supply surplus, the government is considering increasing its 2025 offshore wind target to 5.5 GW and could make an announcement early in 2018.”

Interest in the Taiwanese market has seen developers, original equipment manufacturers and other key players in the offshore wind supply chain establish offices in Taiwan and develop relationships with potential partners there.

Among them is Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, which signed a memorandum of understanding with Taiwan International Ports Corporation regarding developing Taichung harbour as an offshore wind business in December 2017.

The non-binding MOU will see the companies investigate possibilities for a potential manufacturing site, office facilities and staging areas. Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) also plans to open an offshore wind development office to enhance its responsiveness

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Taiwan AREA REPORT | 9

to customers. Its Taipei office will serve as a regional offshore wind hub in the Asia Pacific region, excluding mainland China.

“Signing the MOU demonstrates our strong desire to contribute to the development of offshore wind in Taiwan. We fully believe in the potential of this emerging market and wish to support it with our knowledge as an industry leader,” said Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy’s chief executive offshore Andreas Nauen.

“The offshore wind industry in Taiwan is looking at over 10 GW of projects eventually,” said Mr Nauen. “In 2017, strong supportive signs were shown by the Taiwanese Government, with detailed grid capacity planning and an increase of the long-term ambitions.

“Similarly, significant milestones have been completed in the rest of the region. Japan is developing the first utilityscale projects, and Korea has now commissioned its first commercial-sized offshore wind power plant. We look forward to helping ensure that the right infrastructure is in place, as well as maintaining efforts towards further cost reductions.”

In 2016, Siemens Gamesa installed Taiwan’s first offshore windfarm, the 8 MW Formosa Phase 1 demonstration project.

December 2017 saw GeoSea, part of DEME Group in Belgium, sign a co-operation agreement for the Taiwanese offshore wind market with CSBC Corporation, Taiwan’s largest shipyard.

GeoSea noted that, bolstered by Taiwan’s stable legal framework and favourable investment conditions, a diverse group of major international developers have submitted proposals that could bring the total installed offshore wind capacity to 12 GW or higher in the decade to come.

Together, GeoSea and CSBC will form a Taiwanese joint

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venture ( JV) company that will undertake the transportation and installation of the foundations and wind turbines required for these windfarms.

The JV will become a contractor in its own right, combining GeoSea’s expertise with CSBC’s Taiwanese market knowledge, its position as main proponent of the Taiwanese Government’s industrial strategy for offshore renewables and experience as a shipbuilder.

Subject to regulatory approval procedures, the JV will be incorporated in Taipei by the middle of 2018 and will start bidding for the upcoming offshore renewables developments immediately thereafter.

Early 2018 saw EOLFI and ACS – Cobra Concesiones, two well known players in floating wind power, combine their forces in Taiwan.

The deal between EOLFI, a French developer specialising in floating wind projects, and Cobra Concesiones, a Spanish industrial company wholly owned by ACS, saw Cobra Concesiones finalise a shareholding in Eolfi Greater China, a subsidiary of EOLFI, which has been active in Taiwan since 2012.

EOLFI is best known for developing the Groix & Belle-Île pre-commercial windfarm project 28 km off the coast of Brittany in France, a project that will see it install four 6 MW floating wind turbines that are due to be commissioned in 2021. Cobra Concesiones is developing the Kincardine offshore windfarm project in the UK, which will have a total installed capacity of 50 MW. This project is located approximately 15 km offshore Aberdeen.

In Taiwan, Eolfi Greater China has been developing a portfolio of five commercial floating windfarm projects with a target size of 500 MW each. Acquisition by Cobra Concesiones of a shareholding will secure and speed up the

Alain Delsupexhe: “partnership will give a boost to the W1N windfarm project off Taoyuan”

Andreas Nauen: “the offshore wind industry in Taiwan is looking at over 10 GW of projects”

development of the projects.

When the operation is completed, Cobra Concesiones will be the majority shareholder in Eolfi Greater China.

EOLFI’s team will be in charge of projects development on the Atlantic coast.

“This partnership marks a milestone in our project development in Taiwan,” said EOLFI’s chairman Alain Delsupexhe. “Amongst other things, the partnership will give a boost to the W1N windfarm project off Taoyuan, which has already secured grid access approval by Taipower.” W1N is due to be commissioned in 2022. “This project brings to fruition the strategic initiative that we engaged in five years ago when we entered Taiwan,” Mr Delsupexhe explained.

Readers will remember that, in 2017, DNV GL signed a memorandum of understanding with several regional players in Taiwan and established a certification team in Taipei to support local and foreign companies planning projects there.

“Installation rates for offshore wind in markets such as Asia depend on rapid

development of the supply chains and enabling regulatory processes. As the focus moves from northern Europe to other emerging regions, it is essential that the industry learns from experience in mature markets and does not repeat mistakes,” said DNV GL at the time that the announcement was made.

“The aim of the initiative is to facilitate knowledge transfer and technical co-operation, enabling future offshore wind leaders to build on the experience from mature markets.”

Industry stakeholders who signed the memorandum of understanding include CR Classification Society, Electronics Testing Center Taiwan, Metal Industries Research & Development Centre, Taiwan Electric Research and Testing Centre and the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research.

“Local knowledge from our partners, combined with our experience in offshore wind, will help industry in Taiwan accelerate its offshore wind targets and make offshore wind in Taiwan a reality,” said DNV GL’s executive vice president renewables Kim Mørk. OWJ

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

10 | AREA REPORT US

BIDS SUBMITTED IN MASSACHUSETTS

AS CUOMO OUTLINES PLAN FOR 800 MW

Governor Cuomo: “New York State plans to procure at least 800 MW of offshore wind power”

New York state governor Andrew Cuomo used his 8th State of the State Address to outline plans for two solicitations for offshore wind energy in 2018 and 2019 as developers submitted bids for 800 MW offshore windfarms in the state of Massachusetts Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

U

nveiling a far-reaching agenda to build on what he described as seven years of progressive policy, the governor of the state of New York said he wanted to position New York as the leading offshore wind market in the US, drive competition, reduce costs and create jobs in what he called “this emerging industry.”

Governor Cuomo called for the state to procure at least 800 MW of offshore wind power via two solicitations, to be issued in 2018 and 2019, resulting in enough clean, renewable energy to power 400,000 New York households.

The governor is directing the New York

State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) to invest US$15M in clean energy workforce development and infrastructure advancement to train workers for jobs in this industry, including offshore wind construction, installation, operation, maintenance, design and associated infrastructure.

To attract private investment in port infrastructure and supply chain activities, governor Cuomo is also directing NYSERDA to work with Empire State Development and other state agencies to determine the most promising public and private offshore wind port infrastructure investments.

Shortly before governor Cuomo

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US AREA REPORT | 11

made his statement, three developers submitted bids for projects for up to 800 MW of offshore wind energy in the US state of Massachusetts. The bidders are understood to include: a partnership between Ørsted in Denmark and Eversource, whose proposal included part of the proposed 1 GW Bay State wind project plus 55 MW of battery storage; Deepwater Wind, developer of the first US offshore windfarm, Block Island, who also included a storage element in their proposal; and Revolution Wind, working with National Grid and the Northfield Mountain hydro pumped storage facility, which is operated by FirstLight Power.

Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Avangrid Renewables and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, also submitted a proposal for the 800 MW project.

Recent months have seen a lot of attention paid to the potential of offshore wind energy off the northeast coast of the US, but there is also potential aplenty on the country’s east coast.

A report from the Green Economy Program at the Center for Labor Research and Education at the University of California, Berkeley, suggests that floating offshore wind energy could play a leading role as a source of green energy and employment.

Robert Collier, a research and policy specialist in the Labor Center’s Green Economy Program, suggested that, as California accelerates its transition to a lowcarbon future, one of its challenges is to choose ‘high-road’ policies that not only cut emissions but spur broad-based growth, create quality jobs and benefit communities and notes that state and federal governments have recently launched a planning process for one emerging clean energy source with significant high-road potential: offshore wind.

Mr Collier’s report analyses the policy actions needed for offshore wind power to become an important component of California’s energy mix and an economic catalyst. He acknowledged that these steps would entail an unusual degree of long-term co-ordination and commitment by government and industry. Yet such an effort appears to merit serious consideration because of the sector’s potential to create high-wage employment and help balance the state’s power grid at electricity rates competitive with those of similar sources.

California state agencies already provide direct and indirect subsidies to other technologies such as battery storage and advanced biofuels. By placing strategic bets on competing clean energy alternatives,

these subsidies stimulate what Mr Collier called a “multi-sided development race” that will strengthen the state’s climate policy options in the years to come.

“Offshore wind carries the same inherent risk as the other technologies in this race – the lack of certainty that they will cut their currently high costs enough to become fully competitive,” he wrote, “but offshore wind also has a unique vulnerability that doubles as economic potential – its physical scale and logistical complexity.”

Deep water off the coast of California would probably preclude the use of fixedbottom foundations and require the use of floating platforms of the type that are being developed in Europe and elsewhere.

As Mr Collier noted, any offshore windfarm requires an extensive supply chain. Ensuring this supply chain takes root in California rather than Asia or Europe would require major upgrades to California’s infrastructure for ports, transportation and transmission. The payoff would be creation of a new economic sector that – to a greater or lesser extent, depending on policy decisions – could provide significant job creation.

A necessary factor in developing this supply chain is investor confidence, and as Mr Collier noted, in-state production of the full range of windfarm components

Perry pumps millions into offshore wind research Late 2017 also saw US secretary of energy Rick Perry announce US$18.5M in new Department of Energy (DOE) funding for research and development that will focus on a US-specific cost reduction in offshore wind energy.

The consortium will be a co-operative private-public ‘innovation hub’ addressing topics including wind technology advancement, resource and physical site characterisation, installation, operations and maintenance, and supply chain technology solutions.

“As the former governor of one of the largest wind-producing states, I know the value of wind power in our energy portfolio,” said secretary Perry. “This work will further DOE’s goal to accelerate the development of offshore wind technologies by supporting fundamental research to reduce the costs of offshore wind energy to successfully compete in regional energy markets.”

The DOE said the US hopes to capitalise

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Rick Perry, US Secretary of Energy, comes from one of the largest wind energy states in the US, Texas

on momentum in the nascent offshore wind market in the US, with the nation’s first commercial offshore wind project, the Block Island Wind Farm, and additional projects proposed along America’s coastlines.

However, said the DOE, the US has

several specific challenges that require industry-wide collaboration to reduce costs.

These include deep water requiring floating foundations, the need for models predicting how Atlantic hurricanes will impact offshore turbines, and supply chain and operations and maintenance solutions to address the challenges of building and maintaining turbines at sea.

The DOE intends to select an administrator to co-ordinate the collaborative R&D activities conducted by the consortium, which will include members of the offshore wind industry, who will contribute funds and use the research findings to further advance technology.

In addition to the US$18.5M funding opportunity, US$2M will also be allocated to research at DOE’s national laboratories to support consortium R&D activities.

It’s not just states on the northeast coast of the US that stand to benefit from offshore wind – California could too.

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

12 | AREA REPORT US

is possible if state and federal planners send clear signals to wind developers that, if they build this manufacturing capacity in California, their investments will find steady markets through a longterm series of offshore projects. Without such signals, it is likely that much of the supply chain would be outsourced, with fewer economic benefits for Californians.

“Californian offshore wind is a case study of the challenges and opportunities inherent in a 21st century industrial policy for the clean energy transition,” he said.

“An entirely new industry is being envisioned, potentially involving major infrastructure requirements and long-term power resource planning. Success will depend on policy decisions and market signals that are only just now beginning to be evaluated by government and nongovernment stakeholders.”

A central finding of his report is that California’s offshore wind planning efforts will soon need to broaden their scope. Since early 2016, the state and federal governments have commissioned research, conducted stakeholder outreach and mapped out the labyrinth of state, federal and local permitting.

This is important groundwork, much of which involves potential environmental concerns that are outside the purview of this report. But because there are so few US precedents for high-road economic planning, additional attention will be needed to identify and design the appropriate policy tools.

The report’s findings include that offshore wind would bridge the daily late-afternoon gap between fast-

vanishing solar output and rising residential electricity consumption, thus reducing the state’s need to import wind power from Wyoming or other out-ofstate sources. In doing so, it could allow California to develop additional solar power without destabilising the grid. As an in-state energy source rather than an out-of-state import, offshore wind would be under the purview of the state’s own regulators as well as federal agencies, thus allowing California policy makers to ensure compliance with state policies and interests.

Until only a year or two ago, offshore wind seemed far too expensive to ever be able to compete with California’s other sources of renewable power, but recent technological innovations have sent offshore wind costs plummeting, suggesting that, by the mid-2020s, floating windfarms will be close enough to price parity with land-based renewables.

An April 2016 analysis by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory of development scenarios for California offshore wind concluded that an economically feasible build-out of 16 GW would create steadily increasing employment totalling an annual average of 13,620 full-time jobs in construction, installation and manufacturing by 2040–2050 and 4,330 full-time longterm jobs in operations and maintenance, plus thousands more service-sector jobs in the broader economy.

California’s first offshore wind projects are likely to be executed with imported turbines and other parts, but if state policy makers send clear signals that a

multi-year sequence of many contracts is in the offing, private manufacturers and investors are more likely to build factories and other facilities in California for turbines, blades, towers and foundations.

This, in turn, could lower costs and make the electricity produced more competitive with other power sources.

A full supply chain also presupposes the availability of suitable port facilities for manufacturing and assembly, and two alternatives appear potentially viable: either a multi-site approach, with different functions carried out at a variety of ports, or a single multi-use hub at Eureka, where the Port of Humboldt Bay has vast expanses of vacant industrial land at a deepwater harbour (although it also has major challenges for highway, rail transport and grid interconnection).

Mr Collier suggested that California’s initial offshore windfarms are likely to be either in waters near the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant, whose reactors are slated to close in 2024 and 2025, or offshore Humboldt and Del Norte Counties, near a long-closed nuclear plant that is currently undergoing its decommissioning process. In either case, the result could be retraining and re-employment for some of the nuclear plant workers.

For offshore wind energy to achieve a leading role as a provider of clean energy and jobs, he suggested, co-ordinated industrial planning that has been rare in US states in recent decades would be required, but if California is to transition to renewable energy, policy makers and stakeholders should give serious consideration to it.

Former Brayton Point power station could be repurposed for offshore wind Commercial Development Company (CDC), a North American commercial real estate and brownfield redevelopment company, has announced plans to acquire the site of the Brayton Point power station and use it for offshore wind energy.

CDC said it plans to acquire the site from Dynegy Inc. As part of the transaction, CDC will assume responsibility for legacy environmental liabilities associated with it. CDC and Dynegy are currently under contract to transfer ownership of the site, following a final due diligence period with closing anticipated by mid-December.

CDC plans to invest in the 125-hectare site and develop a market-ready plan to transform it for post-coal utilisation.

The company said the site “represents a unique opportunity to advance the offshore wind energy sector” due to its pre-existing access

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

to the regional transmission grid. The site is also close to proposed development areas for offshore wind, has potential as a deepwater port and access to a highly skilled workforce in the New England area.

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center recently identified Brayton Point as a potential site for the development of an industrial wind port to support the wind energy diversification legislation.

The development of offshore wind will require sites capable of component manufacturing, staging, operations and maintenance.

“Multiple factors attracted us to this site. Of greatest interest was the potential for renewable energy development. Today the site is non-operational. We are confident that, once it is repositioned, the unique attributes will attract investors from multiple sectors,” said CDC. OWJ

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14 | AREA REPORT Scotland

Scots’ ambition hailed by renewable energy industry The Scottish Government’s newly unveiled Energy Strategy – which sets a target for half of all energy to come from renewable sources by 2030 – has met with a warm response from renewable energy organisations

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he renewable energy target contained in Scotland’s new Energy Strategy, published on 20 December 2017, shows “huge ambition,” according to Scottish Renewables.

The goal, suggested by the industry body in January 2016, will see half of all energy – for heat, transport and electricity – coming from renewable sources by 2030.

Other measures in the new strategy, launched in the Scottish Parliament

by energy minister Paul Wheelhouse, include setting out two ambitious scenarios for cutting carbon from Scotland’s energy system, a requirement to almost double Scotland’s renewable electricity capacity (from 9.3 to 17 GW) by 2030 and confirmation of a new, publicly owned Scottish energy company, which will enable the public to invest in renewable energy projects.

Others include confirmation of the £60M (US$85M) Low Carbon Innovation Fund,

announced in December's draft Scottish Budget, and a new £20M Energy Investment Fund for lowcarbon solutions.

Scottish Renewables chief executive Claire Mack said the energy strategy “heralds a new era for the energy system used by us all and provides a roadmap for others to follow.

“For the first time, the Scottish Government has set out a holistic plan for how we produce and use energy, breaking down the barriers

between electricity, heat and transport,” she said.

“The huge ambition of the new target is to be commended. The strategy creates a framework for us as an industry, Scotland’s policy makers and the public to think in different ways about energy supply and demand.

“It should also provide much-needed impetus to tackle issues like the decarbonisation of our heat supply, levels of fuel poverty and the challenges presented by the roll-out of electric vehicles.

“Of particular note is the 50% renewable energy target, which sends a strong signal to industry that renewables should take its place the heart of our economy.

“Previous targets laid the

The new strategy includes an ambition to almost double Scotland’s renewable electricity capacity, such as from the Hywind offshore windfarm

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

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Scotland AREA REPORT | 15

foundation for the rapid growth of Scotland’s renewable energy industry – an industry that already employs 26,000 people, invests hundreds of millions of pounds every year and displaces the equivalent carbon emissions of our entire transport sector.

“This new target has the potential to do the same not just for the continued growth of our renewable electricity sector but also for heat and transport, where action to decarbonise is urgently needed.”

Renewables currently provide enough power to deliver more than half of Scotland’s electricity demand.

“Onshore wind, which provides the bulk of our renewable energy capacity – both operating and in development – is not only more popular than ever but is the cheapest form of new power generation available,” said Mrs Mack. “Our hydro sector, which developed more than 50 years ago, continues to provide clean, reliable

Claire Mack: “strategy heralds a new era for the energy system and provides a roadmap for others to follow”

power, while offshore wind is finally beginning to deploy at scale off Scotland’s east coast.

“Scotland also boasts a wealth of emerging, innovative technologies like wave and tidal power, heat pumps and smart grids, all of which have huge global potential. We hope to see the newly announced low-carbon innovation and investment funds providing viable channels for these technologies to commercialise and scale up.

“A doubling of renewable electricity capacity over the coming decade will serve to increase the economic and environmental benefits of all these technologies as well as cementing Scotland’s place as a world leader in renewable energy skills and technology.”

Commenting on publication of the strategy, Oil & Gas UK’s energy policy manager Will Webster said “We welcome the announcement that the UK oil and gas industry will remain the bedrock of Scotland’s future energy system and

that building on our industry’s strengths is among the six priorities for the Scottish Energy Strategy’s 2050 vision.

It’s also good to hear support for investment, innovation and diversification across our sector so we can maximise economic recovery from the North Sea, as well as acknowledgement of the world-class skills that our sector supports.

“In all future scenarios, our industry has a role to play as we transition to a lowercarbon future. Oil and gas is forecast to provide more than half the world’s energy needs over at least the next two decades and will continue to be the mainstay of the UK’s energy supply – powering the nation with secure and affordable energy, as well as providing feedstock for many other industrial sectors and the manufacture of everyday products. We look forward to working with both the Scottish and UK Governments to ensure that the oil and gas industry continues to thrive.”

Study looks at jobs and supply chain growth from floating offshore wind The potential economic benefit of floating offshore wind projects in Scotland is to be examined by a Crown Estate Scotland-led study.

The work by Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult may help pave the way for the UK Government to make new policy decisions to support industry growth.

It follows the world’s first floating offshore windfarm, Hywind Scotland, located off the northeast of Scotland, starting to produce energy in October 2017.

The floating wind industry is currently at an early stage of development but may have significant potential for Scottish companies.

There are currently two further test and demonstration-scale projects with planning consent from Marine Scotland and seabed rights from Crown Estate Scotland, the public body that manages seabed leasing and passes revenue profits to the Scottish Government.

Floating wind has significant global potential, enabling access to high wind resource in deep waters, compared to fixed wind, which can often be too expensive to build in deeper waters where wind conditions are often better. In particular, Scottish waters are deeper closer to shore, providing the ideal opportunity for expanding the offshore wind industry and taking a global lead in innovating with

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new technologies. If Scotland can lead the way in development, companies involved at all stages will not only create more jobs – environmental specialists, engineers, maintenance workers – but may expand overseas too.

Crown Estate Scotland senior development manager Sian Wilson said “We want to find out the scale of the economic benefits – jobs, supply chain and exports – from growing the Scottish floating wind industry. The results of this study will help the UK Government and others take policy decisions on how to support development.”

The £50,000 (US$67,600) project will be overseen by a UK-wide group including Crown Estate Scotland, The Crown Estate (the body that manages seabed leasing in England, Wales and Northern Ireland), RenewableUK, Scottish Renewables and the Offshore Wind Industry Council. Engagement of regulatory bodies, industry and developers will be sought throughout the project in direct discussions as well as in an industry workshop.

The study will look in detail at different scenarios based on different scales of development and potential UK content, how government policy may impact it and the different economic outcomes of the scenarios. It is expected to be finalised and published in mid-2018. OWJ

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

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France AREA REPORT | 17

FRANCE TO PLAY CATCH-UP

AS FLOATERS LEAPFROG FIRST ROUND PROJECTS France has made a significant commitment to offshore windfarms but still hasn’t built any. However, that situation is changing as floating offshore wind projects come to the fore

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s of today, there are no offshore wind turbines in operation off France’s coast. In an ironic twist, the first offshore wind turbine to be connected in France will be a floating offshore turbine rather than a bottom-fixed unit. This unit is due to be commissioned in the next few months.

It has been nearly four years since France announced the winners of its second commercial-scale offshore wind tender and nearly six years since announcing the winners of its first tender.

Combined, the tenders awarded contracts for 2.9 GW of capacity, but fast forward to today, and only the projects in the first 1.9 GW tender have secured all the necessary permits, and not a single project from these first two tenders has reached financial close.

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Such has been the slow progress with early projects that floating offshore wind is likely to leapfrog them

As Tom Harries, an offshore wind analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) explained to OWJ, the country’s slow and cumbersome development process is delaying projects.

Meanwhile, France’s floating offshore wind sector is progressing at pace, and BNEF expects four 24 MW floating offshore wind projects – providing a total of 96 MW – to come online in 2020/21.

In contrast, BNEF does not expect to see any conventional projects commissioned before 2021.

“The French Government has acknowledged the slow development process, and under the leadership of president Emmanuel Macron, it plans to cut development times to less than seven years from more than 10 currently,” Mr Harries explained.

“In recent years, the government has also streamlined the appeal process for offshore wind projects and cut the length of court cases. Previously, appeals against issued environmental and building permits by stakeholders such as the fishing industry, tourist bodies and conservationists have added years to a project’s development.”

Despite the snail-like pace of development of offshore wind in France, in November 2017, the Ministry of Ecology announced plans to unveil a new, ambitious target. “To date, not much is known about the specific capacity target,” said Mr Harries, “but we expect more information to be released when the multiyear energy plan is unveiled at the end of 2018.” BNEF estimates a 500 MW a year installation rate for French offshore wind

through the 2020s.

In mid-January, a 10-point plan was set out by the French Government with the aim of doubling wind power capacity by 2023. The aim of the plan is to simplify administrative procedures and accelerate the development of wind power projects.

Reports suggest that the proposed reforms will halve the average time it takes for projects to be completed and connected to the grid.

“Currently, it takes seven to nine years to develop offshore wind projects,” said French junior ecology minister Sébastien Lecornu.

Despite the slow pace of projects in France, there have recently been a number of important developments in the market there.

Early in 2018, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy confirmed that the French

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

18 | AREA REPORT France

state has authorised the use of a new turbine for the 500 MW Saint-Brieuc offshore wind project.

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy will supply its new 8 MW offshore wind turbine, the SG 8.0-167 DD, to projects off the Bretagne coast. The turbine will replace Adwen’s AD 8-180 model after Siemens Gamesa decided to focus on its offshore direct drive platform.

Including the 500 MW Dieppe/Le Tréport, 500 MW Yeu/Noirmoutier and 24 MW Provence Grand large projects, Siemens Gamesa will be the supplier for nearly 1,524 GW of projects in France, accounting for a total of 189 Siemens Gamesa direct drive turbines to be installed.

The turbine has a rotor diameter of 167 m with B82 blades of nearly 82 m in length, allowing an 18% larger swept area and up to 20% higher annual energy production than its predecessor, the SWT-7.0-154.

Siemens Gamesa chief executive Andreas Nauen said “This switch of technology for the Saint-Brieuc project is positive news for the project as well as for the whole industry.” He said selection of the turbine would provide a “reliable and competitive solution” whilst contributing to regional economic and industrial development.

The first floating offshore wind turbine to be installed in French waters, Floatgen, reached a key milestone at the end of 2017 and is due to enter into operation shortly.

Mr Lecornu inaugurated the floating offshore wind turbine in Saint-Nazaire on 13 October 2017.

Floatgen is one of a growing number of demonstration projects for floating offshore wind. Its main objectives are to prove the technical, economic and environmental feasibility of

Facilities have been built to test and manufacture offshore turbines in France, but none have been installed as yet

floating foundations in deep water.

Supported by the European Union through the 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development and by ADEME (the Environment and Energy Management Agency), the project is being undertaken by Ideol (which is co-ordinating the project and is responsible for design and engineering of the mooring system and foundations), École Centrale de Nantes (ECN, ocean engineering and test site), Bouygues, University of Stuttgart, Germany (coupled loads simulations and evaluation of measurement), RSK Group, UK (analysis of the environmental impact of the floating system), Zabala (Spain, project management) and Fraunhofer-Iwes, Germany (benchmarking analysis between Floatgen and other comparable solutions).

The Floatgen floating

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

offshore wind turbine is due to be installed for a period of two years 20 km off Le Croisic.

Energy produced by the 2 MW turbines will be injected into the French electrical network.

The floating foundation for the turbine was developed

by Ideol using its concrete damping pool-type unit.

In July 2017, Bourbon installed the moorings for Floatgen on behalf of ECN at the SEM-REV experimental test site off Le Croisic. The innovative mooring system, which uses synthetic mooring lines, was also designed and developed by Ideol.

2017 also saw French energy engineering company Dietswell awarded €2.4M (US$2.9M)

by ADEME to continue development of its floating offshore wind foundation.

Well known in the offshore oil and gas industry, Dietswell has developed a semi-submersible floater for offshore wind energy. It earlier

received €0.5M in funding from Bpifrance.

Dietswell chief executive Jean-Claude Bourdon said the funding was “recognition by the French Government through ADEME of our Eolfloat project.”

Eolfloat makes use of the Trussfloat semisubmersible, which was tested successfully in March 2017 at the Océanide basin at La Seyne-sur-Mer. The Trussfloat has a 50 m x 50 m x 50 m triangular base and is designed for use with 6–8 MW turbines. The company anticipates that a larger floating foundation based on the Trussfloat could use wind turbines of up to 13 MW. The Trussfloat is an allsteel unit that the company says is “based on a concept operationally proven for 50 years in the petroleum industry [and] could be launched at the end of 2018 in a commercial version.” OWJ

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20 | OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE

IS THE MARKET READY FOR – AND WILLING TO INVEST IN – A FLOATING O&M STATION? AS PHILIP WOODCOCK EXPLAINS, THE NEED FOR SMART MAINTENANCE SOLUTIONS FOR THE OPERATIONAL PHASE OF OFFSHORE WINDFARMS IS INCREASING WITH EVERY TENDER FOR WINDFARM DEVELOPMENT

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he Netherlands’ latest tender, Hollandse Kust Zuid I & II, was open for zero-subsidy offers, which will mean that significant cost savings will need to be found throughout the lifecycle of the windfarm in order to make its a viable investment.

One potential solution that might help reduce costs is a floating offshore maintenance facility, a concept RanaWorks BV’s business development manager for inspection, maintenance and repair Rutger Lieverse described as “a vessel containing people with multiple skills and tooling, positioned within a windfarm cluster”.

But what would a floating O&M base look like? The concept isn’t entirely new, and the offshore oil and gas industry has for many years utilised accommodation jack-ups and semi-submersible rigs provided by companies such as Seafox Contractors and Prosafe – units that are fitted with large cranes, accommodation and workshops to undertake maintenance scopes.

However, that kind of solution works in oil and gas, where a large number of people are needed on a single asset. Offshore wind has always had the opposite problem – small numbers of people serving a large number of assets (turbines). To be viable in offshore wind, such a concept would need to be small enough to be cost-effective and safe, provide accommodation and deck space for all the skills and equipment required, provide a safe means of personnel and

Platforms such as those used in the offshore oil and gas industry could form the basis of O&M platforms for offshore wind

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

equipment transfer to turbines and provide sufficient storage and work space for the spare parts and repair works needed offshore.

All of this would need to be combined in a cost-effective package that meets the budgetary requirements of windfarm owners. Such a vessel would need to be able to provide subsea support through permanently mounted remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), divers and survey equipment.

To support topside works, a safe means of access is the key, whether by gangway or small craft or both, in order to manage teams simultaneously, supported by a crane that can work subsea but also can transfer materials to the transition piece. Remote intervention will enhance functionality, so the ability to fly drones and process drone and survey data in a timely manner would also need to be designed in.

Service operation vessels (SOVs) have already moved from the construction phase to O&M and address many of these issues, but they tend to be delivered to meet operational requirements of windfarm operators, with the skillsets on board focused on maintenance in a nacelle. The concept of SOVs providing balance of plant maintenance and inspection services to more than one client has not yet been proven.

“Cross training of personnel is one method of reducing costs,” said Aalea Offshore’s managing director, ROVs Luca Mozzetti. “By training ROV pilots to be drone pilots and ROV technicians to do technical repairs on wind turbines, one can reduce the number of personnel needed offshore and make sure individual utilisation is high. However”, he warned, “trying to encourage an ROV pilot to be a fully certified rope access painter is unreasonable.”

On SOVs, the utilisation of ship personnel as gangway operators is becoming common practice in order to reduce costs while increasing the number of beds available for mission personnel. A successful inspection, maintenance and repair vessel would need to expand that concept across all personnel.

Windfarm operators sharing resources to achieve the best price and highest utilisation has long been an industry goal. The diverse ownership structures of windfarms and the budgetary independence of managers is probably the biggest obstruction to sharing resources.

Until decisions are made at board level, a common inspection, maintenance and repair platform will be a challenge to deliver but could soon move from concept to reality, driven by the constant need to improve efficiency and reduce costs. OWJ

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OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE | 21

ROBOTIC CRAWLER COULD CHECK FOR DAMAGE TO BLADES USING ROBOTS ABOVE AND BELOW THE WATER CAN HELP TO ENHANCE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE AND REDUCE COSTS

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robotic crawler designed to inspect wind turbine blades is being developed with the help of a £50,000 (US$69,000) grant from the UK’s SCORE Innovation fund as a 3D visualisation system to survey underwater structures in offshore windfarms.

Great Yarmouth-based ATAM Group’s magnetic crawler climbs turbine towers and then uses a camera and electronic arm to check for blade damage.

ATAM tested the crawler on the fullsize turbine training tower and blades at the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult’s facilities in Northumberland, which is offered as part of its grant award from the £6M SCORE fund.

The trials enabled the ATAM team to identify any shortcomings in the system and access expert advice and make contacts with potential customers gathered at ORE Catapult’s Blyth facilities or a blades conference.

SCORE, which helps SMEs across England develop new products, processes and ideas that solve problems and drive efficiency in offshore renewables, bringing benefit to the East of England, has so far awarded more than £850,000 worth of grants for more than 20 projects worth over £2.4M. ATAM managing director Mark Loades explained that the Inspection Mag remotely operated vehicle is intended to provide an alternative to manned rope access teams for asset inspection. Doing so can increase safety, productivity and cost efficiency, he believes.

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“Our original plan was to have the robot gripping and travelling along the outside of the blade, but the tests at ORE Catapult ruled that out, so we are switching to a magnetic crawler on the tower with a high definition camera to look for blade damage and an arm that extends to touch and test the blade lightning conductors,” he explained.

“ATAM already operates magnetic robots for pipeline, tank, hull and monopile interior inspection. The Inspection Mag uses the same technology in a pioneering new application,” said Mr Loades.

He launched ATAM nearly 12 months ago, since when it has grown from two to six staff with eight contractors doing a range of work from pipeline inspection services, weld testing and process pipe cleaning to developing inspection data software.

Andrew Tipping, commercialisation manager at ORE Catapult, said the full-size wind turbine blade at ground level was “the closest they could get to the real thing”.

“ATAM couldn’t go to a windfarm operator and ask them to shut down a turbine for their research and development, which is why we have our facilities. ATAM has plenty of knowledge in oil and gas, but they were able to take away a lot of information about the offshore wind industry’s needs to support their continued technology development.”

Subsea technology company Rovco has secured Innovate UK funding to develop a 3D visualisation system as part of a twopart artificial intelligence demonstrator project potentially worth £1M. Also working in partnership with the ORE Catapult, the first phase of the project will see Rovco develop the equipment and software required to produce live 3D data from challenging and extreme subsea environments. The technology will be trialled and tested at ORE Catapult’s renewable energy test facility in Blyth.

Phase two will include the development of a complete 3D vision-based survey solution using artificial intelligence (AI).

The project partners believe that the

Using robots rather than people to inspect turbines and towers and to check structures under the water could reduce costs

technology could reduce offshore inspection costs by up to 80%, exploiting recent advances in both camera technology and embedded graphic processing, while utilising small, intelligent, autonomous robotic vehicles.

The first phase of the project will be 70% supported by Innovate UK, and the remaining 30% will be funded by Rovco. The planned phase two is expected to be further backed

by Innovate UK once technical feasibility is proven. This will see Rovco partner with an autonomous vehicle manufacturer and other subsea companies. OWJ

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

22 | TURBINE TECHNOLOGY

SEAWIND’S TWO-BLADED TURBINES

DESTINED FOR THE AEGEAN RECENT MONTHS HAVE SEEN A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE MARKET, INCLUDING A BREAKTHROUGH FOR SEAWIND’S INNOVATIVE TWO-BLADED TURBINE, NEWS THAT SENVION IS PLANNING A 10 MW PLUS UNIT AND AN UPGRADED 8.0 MW FROM SIEMENS GAMESA

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wo-bladed offshore wind turbine pioneer Seawind has signed an agreement with wind and solar farm operator WRE Hellas to develop smallscale offshore windfarms in the Aegean Sea. Seawind and WRE Hellas plan to develop a series of mini offshore windfarms in the deep water in the Aegean under the Clean Energy for EU Islands Programme, a long-term framework to help the 2,000+ inhabited EU islands generate their own sustainable, low-cost energy. The programme was formally launched in September 2017 in Crete by European commissioner for climate action & energy Miguel Arias Cañete.

Seawind will deliver two-

bladed turbines with floating foundations for the project.

The complete unit will be assembled ashore and installed by a semi-submersible vessel.

No lifting is necessary during the installation phase or for operations and maintenance.

The complete units – including turbine and support structure – are designed to be installed by sinking them into place.

The innovative design of the turbine, in which the rotor is uncoupled from the shaft using a teetering hinge, means there is no requirement for a blade pitch mechanism, with the added benefit of significantly reduced fatigue and loads. This makes for a much lighter turbine head and tower, which is beneficial for

Seawind’s approach sees the entire turbine assembled onshore and launched at sea by semisubmersible vessels

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

floating wind turbines.

“Development of economic, clean energy sources is of vital importance for many small Greek islands that rely heavily on tourism,” said WRE Hellas’s managing director Victoria Alexandratou.

“Seawind’s technology will enable us to meet this objective at a cost comparable to the wholesale price on the mainland and independent from government subsidies.

“It is critical to preserve the environment and landscape of the Greek islands whilst developing independence from fossil fuels and reducing energy costs. Together with Seawind, WRE Hellas will also evaluate various types of energy storage systems to guarantee energy supply 24/7.”

“Seawind’s approach – assembling the entire system onshore and launching at sea by semi-submersible vessels – is the key to bringing down the cost of offshore wind and being able to install one or 100 turbines in a very economical way,” said Martin Jakubowski, chief executive of Seawind Technology.

Seawind’s offshore units have concrete support structures, bottom fixed or floating, and were developed in collaboration with Olav Olsen in Norway. Seawind assisted during basin testing of Olav

“The introduction of the SG 8.0-167 DD shows our continued dedication to industrialising the offshore market”

Olsen’s floating foundation, which confirmed the high degree of stability of the concrete semi-floater design.

Seawind noted that, although the Mediterranean Sea does not have the same kind of winds found in the North Sea, the Seawind 10.4 will produce circa 45M kWh at about 8.5 m/s of wind speed. The company believes it will open up many deepwater sites around the world with medium wind speeds such as in the Mediterranean Sea. Seawind is currently completing the construction of its 6.2 MW demonstrator in Norway and in 2018 will be implementing the design of a 10.4 MW unit with a 210 m rotor diameter.

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TURBINE TECHNOLOGY | 23

A Senvion-led consortium is seeking Horizon 2020 funding to develop a 10 MW+ offshore wind turbine of a more conventional design.

Senvion has confirmed it has submitted an application for Horizon 2020 funding to the European Commission for the development of a ‘new generation’ offshore wind turbine of in excess of 10 MW. The company is leading a pan-European consortium in the ReaLCoE project that hopes to develop the turbine.

The consortium includes utility EnBW and Fraunhofer IWES. Senvion chief executive Jürgen Geissinger said “Senvion anticipates being a front-runner in the offshore business with double-digit rated capacities.

ReaLCoE’s vision is to unleash the full potential of offshore wind energy to be in direct competition with conventional energy sources in electricity markets worldwide.”

Senvion first announced the development of a 10 MW+ turbine for the offshore wind energy industry in May 2017.

The consortium plans to develop, install, demonstrate, operate and test a 10 MW+ prototype platform in an offshore environment.

Siemens Gamesa has unveiled a new 8 MW class offshore wind turbine and a new onshore model, both of which are part of its ‘one segment/one technology’ strategy.

The SG 8.0-167 DD is a direct drive turbine with a rotor diameter of 167 m. Its B82 blades will allow for an 18% greater swept area and up to 20% higher annual energy production (AEP) than its predecessor, the SWT-7.0-154.

The SG 8.0-167 DD utilises proven technology and will thus have a short time to market by reusing components from its predecessor. In January 2017, the first prototype in the 8 MW class unit was installed and commissioned according to plan in Østerild, Denmark.

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While a testing programme with a focus on the electrical system is performed on this prototype, an additional SG 8.0-167 DD prototype will be installed at Østerild this year.

With the larger rotor, it will be used mainly for blade tests.

The SG 8.0-167 DD is expected to be market ready in 2020. To accelerate time to market, Siemens Gamesa is collaborating with Fraunhofer IWES in Bremerhaven, Germany. In addition to inhouse testing and prototype operation, the nacelle of the new 8 MW turbine will be tested at the institute’s dynamic nacelle testing laboratory (DyNaLab). A comprehensive programme, including load simulations and grid compliance tests, will start in spring and will be completed by the end of 2018.

“The introduction of the SG 8.0-167 DD shows our continued dedication to industrialising the offshore market,” said Siemens Gamesa’s chief executive officer offshore, Andreas Nauen. “With the rotor upgrade, we can offer our customers even higher energy yields at lower wind speeds. The flexibility of the offshore direct drive platform helps to reduce the levelised cost of energy and at the same time mitigate risks.”

Only the rotor in the new turbine is being upgraded.

Siemens Gamesa has designed the 81.5 m long B82 blade with less than a 20% increase in mass compared to the B75. Both blade types are manufactured as fibreglass components, cast in one piece using the company’s patented integral blade process.

As highlighted above, the new offshore turbine and new onshore model are part of Siemens Gamesa’s ‘one segment/one technology’ philosophy announced in early November. By 2020, the company will have one technology per business segment. In the onshore market, the company will

Jürgen Geissinger: “Senvion anticipates being a front-runner in the offshore business”

streamline its technology approach and focus on geared solutions typified in the new onshore unit, the SG 4.2145. In the offshore market, it has opted for the direct drive platform.

“The single platform strategy helps the company to transition to a more focused offering in the medium term by utilising economies of scale throughout the supply chain.

This is how we will deliver lasting value to our customers,” said the company’s chief executive Markus Tacke.

The new offshore turbine is to be supplied to Vattenfall for a trio of projects that are the subject of a recent agreement.

As this issue was due to go to press, Seawind was unexpectedly declared bankrupt. It is not known as this stage what the future of the company and its technology might be or whether it might be acquired by another party.

Vertical axis turbine will have permanent magnet generator VertAx Wind Ltd and the University of Edinburgh have signed a commercial licensing agreement for the C-Gen permanent magnet generator developed at the university.

The agreement enables VertAx to build the technology into its multi-megawatt vertical axis wind turbine currently under development.

VertAx chairman Peter Hunter said “This allows us to take the next step as we develop our turbine to compete in the expanding offshore market.

“The C-Gen concept is the right generator design for our large-scale vertical axis turbine, and we look forward to successful collaboration and further development of this advanced permanent magnet generator.”

C-Gen is an air-cored, lightweight, ‘no cogging’ design. Its development started in 2005 under the Scottish Enterprise Proof of Concept Programme, and it has since been demonstrated at various scales up to 1 MW. VertAx’s vertical axis wind turbine design contrasts with the horizontal axis turbines that currently dominate wind power globally. The company’s aim is to further reduce the cost of offshore wind energy while re-establishing wind turbine manufacturing in the UK. OWJ

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

24 | FOUNDATIONS

MONOPILES CONTINUE TO EVOLVE AS SEARCH CONTINUES FOR OPTIMISED FOUNDATIONS Inroads are being made by jackets and gravity-based foundations, but monopiles will remain the foundation of choice for offshore wind turbines for the foreseeable future

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ccording to a report from Renewables Consulting Group (RCG), Offshore Wind Foundations: A European Overview, by 2022 the number of fully commissioned offshore foundations in Europe is expected to approach 6,000 by 2022, and the greatest number of these will be monopiles rather than jackets or gravity-based foundations.

“The market share of each technology group is not expected to change dramatically. However, RCG does expect the share of monopiles to reduce slightly

compared to that of jackets and gravitybased structures,” said the consultants.

“This is expected to be driven by the deployment of jackets at Wikinger (Germany), East Anglia 1 and Beatrice (UK), as well as gravity-based structures at the likes of Blyth (UK), Tahkuluoto (Finland) and Fécamp (France).”

RCG said a key reason why alternative foundation solutions have not had greater impact on the market, apart from the slow development of the required industrialised processes for manufacturing

RCG’s analysis suggests that manufacturers will continue to benefit from demand for monopiles for some time to come

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

and installation, is the constant development of monopiles.

It noted that the maximum diameters and weights associated with monopiles continue to evolve, and the technology (including their method of installation) has kept pace with both the move towards deeper waters and the increase in turbine capacities (and weight).

Monopiles have been deployed successfully in water depths of up to 41 m, and RCG expects the technology to continue to be a competitive solution for projects in water approaching this depth where soil/ground conditions are suitable.

“The market may yet see the solution utilised at depths beyond this. However, recent improvements in the industrialised manufacturing and installation process for alternative solutions and the impending introduction of next-generation turbine technology is expected to intensify the level of competition at this depth range,” RCG said.

The choice of foundation type at any given project is governed primarily by the water depth and soil conditions encountered at the site, while the lack of a suitably industrialised manufacturing and installation process for some solutions remains a key consideration. Likewise, the size and specification of the selected turbine plays a significant role in the final design of the structure.

The overwhelming majority of offshore wind turbines use monopile foundation technology. The remaining commercial fleet comprises a relatively equal mix of jackets, gravity-based structures and tripods, while a handful of single installations at demonstration sites complete the picture and include innovative suction bucket, hybrid jacket and floating substructure technologies.

RCG’s report summarises trends in the development of different foundation types, including projections for the commissioned

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FOUNDATIONS | 25

fleet of turbines. The key features of each foundation concept are summarised, together with the main advantages and relative disadvantages of each type.

In the UK, Atkins is seeking the most efficient monopile design for the Triton Knoll offshore windfarm. The company is working as a subcontractor to a Smulders Sif Steel Foundations joint venture that is looking for a monopile foundation that will be more efficient than any similar units in order to help reduce the overall cost of the project. The foundations will support a total of 90 MHI Vestas V164-9.5 MW turbines and two offshore substations.

The windfarm will be located 32 km off the Lincolnshire coast. It is sited in an area where Atkins has extensive experience in XL monopile and transition piece design engineering. The project is owned by innogy and has a planned installed capacity of 860 MW. innogy’s foundations package manager for Triton Knoll Richard Hughes said the company was seeking a monopile foundation that has the potential to be lighter than any currently installed in comparable site conditions, so helping to deliver cost reductions at Triton Knoll.

“We’ve worked very closely with Atkins and our preferred foundations supplier Smulders Sif Steel Foundations JV to share our own experiences and knowledge and help support the delivery of real innovation. innogy and Triton Knoll are key members of the industry-wide Pile Soil Analysis Group (PISA), which aims to find ways of reducing costs across the sector by implementing new methods of designing monopile foundations.

We expect Triton Knoll to be one of the first projects to see the results of these improvements delivered on the ground.”

Andy Thompson, market lead for offshore engineering at Atkins, explained that “larger turbines create different engineering challenges”. Given that Triton Knoll is the first offshore windfarm to use the V164-9.5 MW turbine, the company is taking a unique approach to addressing the design questions posed by the project, drawing on previous offshore experience in both wind and oil and gas.

“Our UK-based team has many years of experience working on offshore windfarms around the world, and we’re looking forward to putting that expertise into action on the project,” said Mr Thompson.

“Our industry continues to learn at an extraordinary pace, and Atkins’ innovative work designing and engineering various

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The size and weight of monopiles has continued to evolve and the technology has so far kept pace with the increase in the size of turbines

parts of an offshore windfarm has been key to helping lower costs for industry and, ultimately, the consumer.”

Atkins’ design contract will advance technological capability in the UK market.

For much larger turbines, efficient design supporting turbine infrastructure is critical, and as turbines get bigger, more effective and efficient designs for weight, fabrication and installation, as well as increased collaboration across the supply chain, have been crucial to the success of the industry.

The project was awarded a contract for difference in September 2017 and is expected to trigger a capital expenditure investment of around £2Bn (US$2.8Bn) into much-needed UK energy infrastructure. This will enable the delivery of some of the lowest cost energy generation for UK consumers.

The Ørsted-led PISA research project highlighted by Mr Hughes, which demonstrated that monopile foundations for turbines can be reduced in size and made less expensive, won an award from the British Geotechnical Association at the end of 2017.

The project won a Fleming award from the association – an award that recognises excellence in the practical application of geotechnics in a project or part of a project and demonstrates excellence in geotechnical design and construction.

The PISA project concluded that monopiles don’t need to be as long as previously assumed in order to withstand the forces a turbine’s rotor blades are exposed to. Shorter foundations will make it less expensive to install a turbine, which means

that the PISA project could help reduce the cost of energy from offshore wind. Ørsted’s senior manager Jesper Skov Gretlund said “The PISA method is already becoming popular in offshore design. It’s one of the many initiatives that are helping to realise our ambition of making green energy cheaper than energy from fossil sources.”

The new monopile design is the result of collaboration between 11 industry partners as well as the University of Oxford, Imperial College London and University College Dublin. The 11 partners are Ørsted, SSE, Statoil, RWE, Statkraft, Iberdrola, Vattenfall, Alstom, Van Oord, EDF and E.ON. The collaboration was organised and operated under the Carbon Trust Offshore Wind Accelerator, which has specialised in cross-industry collaboration within offshore wind power.

The design methodology used for the PISA project originated from the offshore oil and gas industry and was developed in the 1970s. A new design methodology was developed in two stages. First, the academic work group, led by Oxford University and including Imperial College London and University College Dublin, developed the new model. Subsequently, the model was tested by the Ørsted-led team of industry players at two sites (Cowden, England, and Dunkirk, France) to assess and validate the new design method.

As highlighted above, monopiles predominate in the offshore wind industry but are not the only option. The Netherlands-based SPT Offshore, which specialises in suction pile anchors and foundations for the offshore oil and gas

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

26 | FOUNDATIONS

industry, has unveiled a new type of foundation for offshore wind turbines.

SPT Offshore said its suction pile foundation concept combines the advantages of monopile foundations with the ease and speed of installation of suction pile foundations. The company said they are easy to fabricate and easy to install and remove should the need arise.

The new foundation combines three, potentially four, suction piles and a mono-tubular that sits atop a star-shaped transition piece.

“The mono-tubular has the advantage of being inexpensive to fabricate,” said SPT Offshore, which believes that it is three times less expensive than a jacket-type foundation.

“Suction piles have the inherent advantage of fast installation (around three hours) and are virtually noise free (compared to piling of monopiles),” said the company.

Another advantage of the foundation compared to monopiles is that installing suction piles does not transmit vibration or shock to the foundation. This means that the suction pile foundation can be installed with the work platform attached.

“Steel has the benefit of being light and simple to build and the design process is more flexible and allows a shorter

fabrication schedule,” said SPT Offshore.

“On top of the suction pile and on top of or inside the transition piece, there is room for added ballast, which can be preinstalled or combined with scour protection after installation.

“Installation of a suction pile foundation in dense sand can typically be completed in hours, compared to the days required for a pre-piled jacket and ancillary installation.

This reduces the offshore construction spread required in the field significantly.

“At the end of its lifetime, if an offshore wind turbine needs to be removed, it can

be done by simply reversing the piling operation. No steel will be left behind, unlike hammered piles, which can only be cut, leaving thousands of tonnes of metal in the seabed.”

The company believes that suction piles are suitable for use in 99% of the North Sea and most shallow-water areas worldwide that have sandy, clay or layered soils.

“We are detailing the design right now and are working towards a demonstration in the next 12 months,” the company concluded.

Gravity-based foundations for Kriegers Flak The massive foundations for the offshore substations for the Kriegers Flak project in Denmark – one weighing 10,000 tonnes and the other 8,000 tonnes – left the Port of Ostend in Belgium destined for Denmark on 15 January 2018. They were transported to Denmark on a barge.

Jan De Nul Group and Smulders joined forces to build the gravity-based foundations. Each consists of a concrete

part with a steel structure on top. Jan De Nul Group was responsible for the design and construction of the concrete gravitybased foundation.

Smulders was responsible for design and construction of the steel structures and decks they will carry. Jan De Nul will also be responsible for the installation of the foundations, ballasting and scour protection for them. OWJ

The massive foundations for the substations for the Kriegers Flak offshore windfarm were designed and built by Smulders and Jan de Nul

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

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CABLE-LAY | 29

CABLE COMPANIES CONSOLIDATING

AS PRYSMIAN ACQUIRES GENERAL CABLE AND NEXANS INVESTS EARLY 2018 SAW FURTHER SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE MARKET FOR CABLES FOR OFFSHORE WINDFARMS, MONTHS AFTER JDR IN THE UK WAS ACQUIRED

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n December 2017, Prysmian Group and General Cable Corporation entered into a merger agreement under which Prysmian will acquire General Cable for US$30.00 per share in cash.

The transaction values General Cable at approximately US$3Bn, including debt and certain other General Cable liabilities, and represents a premium of approximately 81% to the General Cable closing price of US$16.55 per share on 14 July 2017, the last day of trading before General Cable announced its review of strategic alternatives.

The transaction, which has been unanimously approved by each company’s board of directors and recommended to its shareholders

by General Cable’s board of directors, is expected to close by Q3 2018, subject to the approval of General Cable’s shareholders.

“The acquisition of General Cable represents a landmark moment for Prysmian Group and a strategic and unique opportunity to create value for our shareholders and customers,” Prysmian Group chief executiveValerio Battista said. “Through the combination of two of the premier companies in the cable industry, we will be enhancing our position in the sector by increasing our presence in North America and expanding our footprint in Europe and South America.”

Non-executive chairman of the board of General Cable John Welsh III said “Today’s announcement is the culmination of a thorough and robust review of strategic alternatives undertaken by the General Cable board of directors. We are confident that this transaction maximises value for our shareholders.”

General Cable’s president and chief executive Michael McDonnell said “The combination is an ideal strategic fit and ensures we are well positioned to meet the future opportunities and challenges in the dynamic and evolving wire and cable industry.

“Together, we will be able to deliver a robust portfolio of products and services and new product innovation across the full breadth of the wire and cable industry globally. Importantly, Prysmian and General Cable have a shared vision and highly compatible cultures founded on similar values.”

January 2018 saw Nexans acquire a controlling interest in BE CableCon, a Danish manufacturer and supplier of cable kits for leading wind turbine companies.

BE CableCon was founded in Viborg, Denmark, in 2007. It has established a reputation in the design, engineering and manufacture of cable kits that enable wind turbine companies to simplify the installation of the vital power, control and communication cable

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systems within their towers and nacelles.

The company’s kit range covers low voltage and medium voltage applications including connectors, preconnected and preassembled cable kits and customised packing for complete ready-to-install kits.

BE CableCon chief executive Klaus Moller will head the new Nexans subsidiary.

Nexans vice president, industry solutions and projects Alain Robic said “We have developed an excellent working relationship with BE CableCon as a subcontractor for our own kitting projects.

“Bringing them into the Nexans Group is a key step in our strategy to take greater control of critical elements in our value chain so that we can offer customers a complete engineered connection system. In addition to wind turbines, we will now be able to develop new growth opportunities for cable-kitting solutions in other industry segments,” said Mr Robic.

Late 2017 also saw JDR in the UK acquired by TFKable Group, a move that the company’s chief executive Richard Turner described as “a major milestone for JDR and a massive opportunity to underline the company’s commitment to the energy sector.

“It’s a truly exciting time for JDR and for me as the new CEO. The acquisition is a great opportunity to elevate what we do to the next level,” said Mr Turner.

TFKable Group is one of Europe’s leading producers of cables and wires. Its global presence and experience and JDR’s technical capabilities and understanding of the energy market will enable the company to enhance its range of services and products Mr Turner said. OWJ

Companies that provide cabling for offshore wind energy are consolidating as they seek greater market share

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

30 | CLASSIFICATION/CERTIFICATION

WIND CHASERS

AIM TO ENHANCE DATA QUALITY A new initiative is set to improve how industry predicts wind speed as the University of Bristol and Lloyd’s Register combine technical expertise and science to help generate better data on windfarm performance

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orking together, academics in the UK and representatives of class society Lloyd’s Register hope to develop options to increase the quality, accuracy and access to data used in monitoring and predicting wind trends.

Students studying bachelor’s and master’s programmes in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Bristol will be involved in one of Lloyd’s Register’s latest wind energy initiatives to develop and improve wind speed analysis and data for trend comparisons through Lloyd’s Register’s ‘windiness dashboard’.

The dashboard can be used by investors, developers, owners and operators of current windfarms to assess and predict energy production at all project stages from planning and development through to operation.

Monitoring, recording and interpreting wind speed trends can be extremely valuable to windfarm investors, developers, owners and operators, enabling wind turbine and windfarm performance to be assessed and evaluated.

The initiative between the University of Bristol and Lloyd’s Register provides industry with a unique platform to investigate wind speed and windfarm production trends. It offers the prospect of transformative

Better wind speed data can help inform decisions by developers, owners and operators of windfarms

improvements in predicting future wind power production.

“Wind speed variability remains one of the most pressing issues for developers and operators of windfarms,” said Lloyd’s Register’s technical lead, energy resources services David Pullinger. “Wind is inherently variable, and this has a significant impact on the financial returns of projects.

By providing access to the accurate, clear and concise information the industry demands, this project will increase understanding of the risks involved, resulting in better decision making.”

The initiative is attracting interest across a sector that is hungry for innovative new products and opportunities to introduce new talent to the wind sector.

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

Mr Pullinger said “We want to inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists, and this partnership with the University of Bristol is one example of how we are inspiring students into the world of work, sharing what we do to enhance the global drive for cleaner and more sustainable energy production.”

Lloyd’s Register experts will add further value to this process by mentoring students in real-life experiences as product owners. “The initiative is great for trying out new ideas and for students to explore technologies and learn software engineering in their computer science degree.

We are delighted that we can support students from the University of Bristol in this way and help support the next

generation of technology and renewable scientists,” said Mr Pullinger.

The data shared in the project will help to build up year-on-year trends, understand better the siting considerations for windfarm developments and provide a reliable and quality-driven index of wind data.

The project will run until April 2018, and Lloyd’s Register and the University of Bristol will publish the outcome of the initiative and its initial findings in May 2018.

“Our solutions approach to improving predictability and reliability ensures that a wide range of future windfarms offshore and onshore stand to benefit from the data we can share through the dashboard,” Mr Pullinger concluded. OWJ

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32 | LEGAL MATTERS

THE NEW YELLOW BOOK:

IS IT FIT FOR PURPOSE FOR OFFSHORE WIND? RICHARD BOOTH, A SENIOR ASSOCIATE AT HFW LLP, ANALYSES THE NEW YELLOW BOOK, THE CONTRACT FROM THE FIDIC SUITE MOST COMMONLY USED FOR OFFSHORE WIND PROJECTS

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he new suite of FIDIC contracts arrived on 5 December 2017, including the second editions of the three major forms of contract in the FIDIC rainbow suite (the Yellow, Red and Silver Books).

The first edition of the current suite was launched in 1999, and accordingly, the second edition represents 18 years of industry and legal changes and developments, perhaps explaining why each contract is now 50% longer than the first.

The structure and format of the second edition will be familiar to regular users of the first edition. The general conditions are formed of the same clauses, although clause 20 has now been split into two clauses. Clause 20 is restricted to claims, and a new clause 21 covers disputes.

The old particular conditions now comprise contract data and special provisions, which are any bespoke amendments agreed to the general conditions.

Improvements include the alphabetical listing of definitions (instead of thematically grouping them).

New definitions include profit, notice, claims and disputes, and the exclusion and limitation of liability provisions have been moved from clause 17 to clause 1.15 of the conditions in an apparent nod to their importance and significance to contracting parties. Clauses

Richard Booth: “it could take some time for projects to begin being regularly procured under the new form”

18 (force majeure, now known as exceptional events) and 19 (insurance) have been sensibly reversed in order.

The second edition is supported by FIDIC’s new golden principles – five statements that FIDIC expects contract drafters to adopt, including that the duties/responsibilities of the contracting parties must be generally as implied by the general conditions, special provisions must not change the

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

risk allocation and all disputes must be referred to the Dispute Avoidance/Adjudication Board (DAAB) for a provisionally binding decision as a condition precedent to arbitration.

The accompanying guidance notes include proposed drafting for special provisions (bespoke amendments, including identifying the general conditions that would need to be amended to introduce BIM into the contract.

Clause 3, which contains the provisions concerning the engineer, is a good example of the cumbersome approach taken to the redrafting of the FIDIC suite. Clause 3.7 – the old clause 3.5 (determinations) – has been expanded from a single paragraph to three pages. The additional drafting is intended to make the provisions more prescriptive but is unfortunately hard to follow.

Clause 3 has been heavily amended with an emphasis placed on the engineer making determinations freely and being required to act neutrally.

It is expressly stated that the employer is not to prevent the engineer from making a determination without seeking the employer’s prior approval. If the engineer does not reach their determination on a contractor’s claim within the 42-day period, they are deemed to have rejected the claim. If the contractor does not issue a notice of dissatisfaction within 28 days, the engineer’s

deemed rejection of the claim is deemed to have been accepted by the parties and is final and binding on both of them.

This is in itself a particularly draconian provision that will inevitably catch out contractors using the new form of FIDIC contract and appears to have the effect of rebalancing the risk allocation in the employer’s favour. The effect is further compounded by a second time bar, which is that, if the dispute arising from a notice of dissatisfaction is not issued to the DAAB within six weeks, the engineer’s actual or deemed determination is also deemed to be final and binding.

The fit-for-purpose warranty at clause 4.1 of the Yellow Book has been amended to clarify that the purpose is specified in the employer’s requirements (rather than more generally across the contract documents as a whole). This clarification is to be welcomed, and parties should ensure the purpose is clearly defined in the employer’s requirements to gain the greatest certainty from the scope of this warranty.

Controversially, the fitfor-purpose warranty is now backed by an indemnity at clause 17.4. This is a new indemnity, and contractors should ensure that it remains within the scope of the exclusion and clauses and liability caps. Again, reflecting industry practice, the contractor is required to take

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LEGAL MATTERS | 33

out professional indemnity insurance, and if required by the contract data, the insurance is to also cover the contractor against its liabilities for a failure to comply with the fit-for-purpose warranty.

These provisions will need to be carefully considered in conjunction with the contractor’s insurance advisers, as typically professional indemnity insurance does not extend coverage to fit-forpurpose warranties.

As mentioned earlier, the exclusion clause and liability cap have been moved forward from clause 17.6 to clause 1.15 of the contract in an apparent nod to their significance to the parties. There are new carveouts from these exemption clauses including for delay damages and claims under the intellectual property indemnity (both in the employer’s favour and typically made) and in the contractor’s favour for variations (an unusual carveout), losses in respect of omissions of work given to third parties and losses arising from a termination for convenience.

The nature of the carve-outs is to continue to be negotiated by the parties, with employers seeking a broader selection of carve-outs to include issues such as termination losses following contractor default.

The cap on delay damages

at clause 8.8 can now also be disapplied by fraud and/or gross negligence.

The performance security provisions at clause 4.2 (bonds and guarantees) remain largely untouched, save that an express right is included to permit an increase or decrease in the value of performance security if the contract price changed by 20%. This amendment reflects industry practice. However, the requirement for the employer to consent to a decrease in value means the FIDIC drafting is likely to be toothless.

The employer’s financial arrangements for the project are now required by clause 2.4 to be specified in the contract data, with the employer obliged to give notice if it intends to make a material change to them. If the contractor is instructed to carry out a single variation valued in excess of 10% of the accepted contract amount (or 30% in aggregate) and it does not receive payment or is aware of a change in the employer’s financial arrangements, it can request evidence that the employer has financial arrangements in place. Not many employers are likely to allow clause 2.4 to remain given the sophisticated nature of funding for offshore wind projects.

Clause 14 (payment) also remains largely untouched by the FIDIC drafting committee, although the concept of cost plus reasonable profit has been replaced by a new defined term ‘cost plus profit’, which provides that, if the profit is not stated in the contract data, it is deemed to be 5%.

A further reflection of the prescriptive nature of the second edition is the express requirement for the contractor to include all claims and financial entitlement in its final statement/statement at completion and to then make a claim under clause 20.2 for any uncertified sums within 56 days of receipt of the final payment certificate, otherwise it is deemed to have accepted the amounts included in the final payment certificate.

The requirements for the programme have been expanded and made substantially more prescriptive by clause 8.3. The parties are now required by clause 8.4 to provide each other with advance warning of matters likely to cause delay or additional cost or impact on performance (although there is no sanction for a failure to give such notice). The extension of time mechanism is largely untouched, but a new paragraph has been included at the end of clause

8.5 requiring concurrent delay to be dealt with by any rules and procedures set out in the special provisions (or, if none stated, as appropriate taking due regard of all the relevant circumstances). A contractor should be careful to ensure that this provision is not amended to introduce an ‘anti-malmaison’ type clause, which has the effect of denying an extension of time if the contractor is in concurrent delay. New mutual trigger events for termination for default are provided for, including a failure to comply with an engineer’s determination or a DAAB decision (provided, in either case, it will result in a material breach of the contract), together with the employer’s entitlement to terminate if a cap on delay damages is exceeded.

The employer’s right to terminate for convenience is subject to a requirement for it to pay loss of profit and other losses and damages to the contractor (which is also carved out from the exemption clauses). This is a marked improvement from the contractor’s perspective, but we consider it unlikely that an employer will readily accept such open-ended liability, instead seeking to negotiate a specific entitlement (a fixed amount or a percentage of the contract price).

ASSESSING THE CHANGES – SUMMING UP The Yellow Book remains in principle an onshore contract, so still requires the usual amendments for issues such as the vessel spread (including the right to remove the spread in the event of project delay), burial performance criteria (where the scope includes subsea cabling), UXOs, rely upon information, a knock for knock indemnity regime, and the involvement of the marine warranty surveyor.

It had been understood that FIDIC was planning to introduce a specific offshore contract, but this is not on the immediate horizon at the drafting committees, and accordingly, participants in the offshore wind industry must continue to work with and adapt the onshore Yellow Book for use offshore.

In terms of the new amendments introduced by the second edition of the Yellow Book, it is questionable whether the new prescriptive

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time periods and mechanisms are practical for offshore work. These mechanisms indirectly shift risk onto the contractor. They will inevitably require more proactive contract management than previously (perhaps reflecting the approach taken by NEC drafters). The increased use of time bars and deeming provisions are likely to result in satellite disputes over whether particular claims are time barred. The parties are also going to find themselves in formal dispute procedures during the project (if the DAAB provisions are not heavily amended).

The experience following the introduction of the first edition of the FIDIC suite in 1999 is that it took several years for projects to start being procured under the new form. It is likely to also be the case for the second edition, particularly given the fairly significant amendments that have been introduced. OWJ

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

34 | CORROSION CONTROL

Corrosion protection concept offers 30% cost saving Experience to date on E.ON’s Arkona offshore windfarm project, the first use of a new corrosion protection concept, suggests that it is significantly less expensive than conventional techniques

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s first highlighted in the 3rd Quarter 2017 issue of OWJ, the concept of using thermally sprayed aluminium to prevent corrosion is widely used in the offshore oil and gas industry but has only recently begun to be used in the offshore wind industry.

Corrosion protection and management of foundations for offshore wind turbines is a potentially costly undertaking in terms of initial capital outlay and in long-term maintenance. The current solution of paint and sacrificial anodes not only slows foundation construction time but has a limited lifetime that requires frequent inspection and maintenance activities. Anodes require additional secondary steelwork to be added to a foundation, and paint requires many days to dry, slowing production times and adding cost. The first application of thermally sprayed aluminium was on the Arkona offshore windfarm, for which the foundations have now been installed.

Speaking at a recent conference, representatives of E.ON Climate & Renewables, consultant Rambøll Germany (who designed the monopile foundations for the Arkona project) and monopile contractor EEW provided an insight into their experience with the process, which they anticipate can significantly reduce the environmental impact during operations compared to conventional methods.

The new technique replaces conventional coatings and anodes and reduces manufacturing and maintenance costs. As highlighted earlier by OWJ, the technique, thermally sprayed

Work to date suggests that thermally sprayed aluminium could form the basis of a new corrosion protection system for monopiles

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

aluminium, has been widely used to protect structures in the offshore oil and gas industry but has not been used until now in the offshore wind industry.

E.ON chose to protect all 60 foundations for the offshore windfarm in the Baltic with thermally sprayed aluminium. It believes this will be more cost-effective than conventional coatings and will be more environmentally friendly because it will eliminate the gradual deposit of tonnes of paint-based products on the seabed as corrosion takes place. EEW developed innovative solutions on behalf of E.ON to implement the process on an industrial scale at its facility in Rostock and built what is believed to be the world’s first fully automated coating line for thermally sprayed aluminium. Because the process is automated, it can lead to significant cost savings compared with conventional corrosion protection.

The foundations for the project are being installed in water depths ranging from 23 m to 37 m, have a diameter ranging from 7 m to 7.75 m, are 55–80 m in length, weigh between 667 tonnes and 1,247 tonnes and are being driven between 27 m and 43 m into the seabed. A number of different ways of protecting them were investigated, including anode rings combined with conventional coatings to DNV GL standards.

However, the team working on the corrosion protection aspects of the project also investigated thermally sprayed aluminium and its use in projects such as bridges and the Gjøa offshore platform.

They conducted a comparison of the advantages/benefits and costs of a conventional approach to corrosion control and a costbenefit analysis comparing existing techniques with the new one.

They found that the thermally sprayed aluminium technique was less expensive overall by approximately 30%, mainly as a result of the elimination of anodes and a reduction in fabrication costs.

Having conducted a comparison of the various codes used for corrosion protection, they also estimated that thermally sprayed aluminium will have a service life of in excess of 27 years, which compares well with conventional corrosion protection techniques.

As with any corrosion protection technique, there are issues to address when using thermally sprayed aluminium, E.ON and Rambøll acknowledge. These include the fact that, when monopiles are driven into the seabed, some damage to the coating must be expected. Experience in other areas suggests that, although the technique works well in water, in the splash zone, where conditions differ, the level of protection provided may be less effective. Not all of a monopile needs to be coated with thermally sprayed aluminium, they note, but partial coating can reduce the lifetime of the aluminium coating, so a conservative approach in which the entire structure is coated might be best. OWJ

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DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS | 35

Borssele V innovation tender seeks to maximise cost reduction The authorities in the Netherlands and Ireland plan to test offshore wind technology at specially selected demonstration sites

Noordzee

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he tender for the Borssele V offshore windfarm off the coast of the Netherlands, an innovation site that will be used to test new technology, opened on 2 January 2018.

Due to close on 18 January 2018, the tender for the 20 MW Borssele V covers a small site mainly located in Site III of the Borssele windfarm zone.

By inviting tenders for the site, the Dutch Government and Netherlands Enterprise Agency hoped to encourage testing and demonstration of advanced offshore wind technology, contribute to reducing the cost of wind energy, contribute to the Dutch economy and increase the market and export potential for Dutch companies and engage small and medium-sized enterprises and institutes in developing the windfarm.

Applications could be submitted for an investment subsidy, an operating subsidy and a permit. Bids will be ranked according to four criteria, including their ability to contribute to cost reduction, their contribution to the Dutch economy, the level of innovation relative to the state of the art from an international point of view and the degree to which the Dutch knowledge position is boosted and the quality of the project (approach and methodology,

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Legenda

risk management, feasibility, participating parties, effectiveness and efficiency of the resources deployed).

One winner will be selected to install one or possibly two turbines of a minimum of 6 MW and a maximum of 20 MW. The Irish Government also recently confirmed that permission has been granted to use a site in Galway Bay to test marine renewable energy, including floating offshore wind technology.

Ireland’s minister of state at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Damien English, said Ireland’s Marine Institute has been awarded a foreshore lease for the Galway Bay Marine and Renewable Energy Test Site.

The test site, located 1.5 km off the coast of An SpidĂŠal, will allow for the deployment and testing of a range of prototype marine renewable energy devices, innovative marine technologies and novel sensors. The facility will also provide access to the SmartBay observatory, allowing researchers and scientists to conduct research in the marine environment.

The Marine Institute operated a test site at the same location for 11 years until March 2017, generating a significant research knowledge base.

The test site will provide

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The Borssele V innovation site covers a small area mainly located in Site III of the Borssele windfarm zone

researchers and those involved in developing ocean energy devices with an area in which to test and demonstrate quarter-scale prototype ocean energy converters and related technologies. A maximum of three marine renewable energy test devices will be deployed at the test site at any time and will only be deployed for a maximum duration of 18 months, with the exception of any floating wind device, which may only be deployed for a maximum of 12 months.

The lease has been granted on the basis that there is no provision to export power from the test site to the National Grid.

The Galway Bay test site will operate for up to 35 years, with devices on site intermittently throughout the year.

Under the terms of the lease, the Marine Institute will produce an environmental monitoring plan for the test site and make all the findings of the monitoring programme available to the public.

Research project will tackle blade erosion and repair Fraunhofer IWES in Germany has started a research project that aims to develop reliable forecasting models for erosion damage to turbine blades due to rain.

The goal of the project is to improve the effectiveness of protective mechanisms for rotor blades. The BeLeB project will also investigate potential repair concepts for blades affected by rain erosion. Fraunhofer IWES will use a rain erosion test bench it has been operating since 2015 and will assess blade damage by means of highresolution 3D images.

IWES said the development and validation of a method for accelerated service life analysis of coating systems will help prevent turbine downtime and loss of income. OWJ

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

36 | CONTROL SYSTEMS

Holistic offshore control strategies to be put to the test

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he Carbon Trust’s Offshore Wind Accelerator has unveiled a €2.3M (US$2.7M) project, Wind Farm Control Trials (WFCT), designed to demonstrate how effective implementation of control strategies can reduce the cost of offshore wind.

The project will investigate the impact of focusing on strategies that aim to improve energy generation across an entire windfarm rather than individual turbines.

The project is backed by EnBW, E.ON, innogy, Statoil and Vattenfall, incorporating know how from experts who have played a leading role in windfarm control concept generation and wind measurement, including DTU, ECN, Frazer-Nash Consultancy and Windar Photonics.

Optimising control strategies to reduce wake effects will lower the levelised cost of energy (LCOE) by increasing the total wind energy yield and reducing fatigue, saving operational and maintenance costs.

A multimillion Euro project will investigate the best use of windfarm control systems to maximise energy production while reducing turbine loads

Additionally, the introduction of control strategies can also increase availability and extend the lifetime of existing and future assets.

During the project, different methods of control will be used to optimise power production for the whole windfarm rather than maximising production of individual turbines. The turbine control will be altered by adjusting the blade angle of attack (pitch) and rotation of the nacelle (yaw).

The study will be the largest and most comprehensive real-life demonstration of the impact of windfarm control

The windfarm control trials project aims to improve energy yield and reduce operations and maintenance costs

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

strategies on the overall performance of a windfarm.

It aims to build on previous simulation-based studies.

The expected increase in energy yield and load reductions are based on simulation results, where set points (turbine input parameters) are altered and do not require any modifications to the turbine itself. This brings the enormous advantage of the control strategies being realisable on today’s windfarms. However, no solid experimental evidence has yet been publicly disclosed about the performance of windfarm control strategies in real life, and this project aims to validate these strategies and overall reduce the LCOE for the operational windfarm.

Despite the wealth of evidence showing the potential benefits of this technology, the technical and economic risks pose a significant challenge for bringing this technology to market. The WFCT project aims to act as a catalyst to demonstrate control strategies in an operational setting to enable future adoption by the wider industry. Once proven, the concept can be rolled out to operational windfarms without any need for further technology development.

Based on these previous studies and simulations undertaken, it is expected that adopting blade pitch or yaw-based control strategies would result in increase in energy yield of between 0.5% and 3.5%. It is also expected to possibly enable load reductions of up to 50% for some wind turbine components meaning increased component life and therefore reduced operation

and maintenance costs.

The first stage of the project involves analysis to determine the most suitable windfarm test site for the trials and an optimisation of the control strategies. The selected windfarm will have extensive measurement equipment installed as part of the validation process for the simulations, including eight nacelle-mounted Windar Photonics light detection and ranging (lidar) systems, a scanning lidar and load measurements installed on individual turbines.

The Carbon Trust’s project manager James Sinfield said “The project has the potential to have a significant impact on cost reduction with a win-win on improving annual energy production and at the same time reducing operational and maintenance costs.”

Despite the wealth of evidence showing the potential benefits of this technology, technical and economic risks pose a challenge for bringing it to market. The OWA project has therefore been set up with the aim of demonstrating the effectiveness of control strategies in an operational setting. Once proven, the concept can be rolled out to operational offshore windfarms across the wider industry.

The trials are expected to be undertaken in 2018, and full results are expected in 2019.

The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 691732. It is also funded with subsidies from Topsector Energy by the Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy. OWJ

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WindEnergy Hamburg The global on & offshore expo Hamburg, Hamburg, 25 25 –to28 28September September2018 2018

Over 1,400 exhibitors from more than 34 countries and some 35,000 trade visitors from 48 countries – that is WindEnergy Hamburg. Be a part of the world’s leading expo for wind energy, and find everything that the global wind industry onshore and offshore has to offer.

Register now! windenergyhamburg.com

Join the Global Wind Summit

in co-operation with

38 | ANALYSIS

GERMAN COALITION COULD SEE NEW IMPETUS FOR OFFSHORE WIND

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he Offshore Wind Energy Working Group (AGOW), Bundesverband Erneuerbare Energie (BEE), Stiftung Offshore-Windenergie and VDMA Power Systems, part of the German Engineering Federation, want to see the German government boost the rate at which new offshore windfarms are built beyond those envisaged in the German renewables regulation (EEG) in 2017. If it remains unchanged, the 2017 EEG would see a slowdown in the roll out of offshore windfarms in the early 2020s.

Cuxhavener Appell, an organisation initiated by Germany’s coastal states, trade unions and the offshore wind industry in September 2017, has already called for an expansion of offshore wind targets to at least 20 GW by 2030 and 30 GW by 2035.

“Only higher expansion volumes in Germany and throughout the whole of Europe will ensure further and permanent cost reductions, as well as innovations in technological development,” they said, noting that the results to date from the exploratory talks between the CDU, CSU and SPD “make this a logical course of action.”

To achieve domestic and international climate targets, a new federal government

Coalition talks between Angela Merkel’s CDU and the SPD could be good for offshore wind

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

INDUSTRY ORGANISATIONS IN GERMANY ARE HOPEFUL THAT TALKS BETWEEN THE CENTRE LEFT SOCIAL DEMOCRATS (SPD) AND CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL’S CDU CONSERVATIVES ABOUT A COALITION COULD BE GOOD FOR OFFSHORE WIND

would have to create a political framework limiting emissions and expanding renewable energy, they argued.

“The new government must develop a mandatory framework for the energy transition in which a greater expansion of renewable energies and a corresponding adjustment of the entire system take centre stage,” they said. “The exploratory talks could open up new possibilities,” they note particularly given the steep fall in the cost of offshore wind energy. “Thanks to the current cost of development, offshore wind energy can play a considerably larger role than was previously the case,” said the industry bodies.

A commitment to more offshore wind would also have a beneficial effect on employment, they argued. Around 20,000 people are currently employed in the German offshore wind industry, which turns over approximately €2Bn (US$2.5Bn) per annum.

Although final production for turbines predominantly takes place in the north of Germany, the supply chain is spread across the country, particularly in North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. Many companies in eastern

Germany are also important suppliers to the wind industry.

The AGOW, BEE, Stiftung OffshoreWindenergie and VDMA Power Systems, also want action to be taken to address issues in and expand the German grid.

“The new federal government must make the expansion of the transmission grids a priority,” they said. “It is vital to avoid further delays.”

“With a total output capacity of more than 5.3 GW, offshore wind turbines make an increasing contribution to the security of Germany’s energy supply. They deliver clean power almost around the clock, every day of the year,” said the industry representatives.

According to an analysis by Deutsche WindGuard, a total of 1,169 wind turbines with an installed capacity of 5,387 MW were connected to the German grid as of 31 December 2017.

According to the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Energiebilanzen, a working group on energy, power generation by offshore wind turbines increased to 18.3 TWh in 2017.

That is almost 50% more than in 2016 (12.3 terawatt hours).

In a December 2017 report, AG Energiebilanzen said renewables' share of energy used in Germany rose by more than 6% in 2017. Better weather conditions compared to the previous year helped renewables, with electricity from wind turbines of all types that was fed into the grid growing by 34%.

Solar (in the form of solar heat and PV) saw an increase of 5%. Geothermal energy recorded an overall increase of 7%, but the share attributable to biomass and other forms of energy from waste stagnated.

Overall, the proportion of renewable energy in Germany’s total energy consumption increased to 13.1% in 2017 Two offshore windfarms with a capacity of 780 MW are currently under construction in German waters. Another five projects with a capacity of 1.5 GW are being planned.

Existing legislation in Germany allows for another 7.7 GW of offshore wind energy by 2020. OWJ

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PROJECT FOCUS | 39

THREE-DIMENSIONAL SURVEYS AID RAPID INSTALLATION AT ARKONA THE ARKONA OFFSHORE WINDFARM IN GERMANY IS ONE OF A GROWING NUMBER OF PROJECTS THAT ARE REACHING KEY MILESTONES – AND BEING COMPLETED – AHEAD OF SCHEDULE, THANKS TO DETAILED PRE-CONSTRUCTION SURVEYS

The Arkona project – transition pieces for which are seen here – is progressing well, partly as a result of very detailed surveys undertaken prior to foundation installation

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y January 2018, all 60 transition pieces had been installed on the Arkona offshore windfarm, with the transformer station due to be delivered this spring.

Construction of the Arkona project in the German sector of the Baltic is progressing at a fast pace. After all of the foundations were installed, attention turned to the transition pieces. Monopile foundations were selected for the project and were installed in water depths ranging from 23 m to 37 m.

The transition pieces, each weighing 400 tonnes, were transported from the port of Mukran to the construction site in the Q4 2017, thus completing the second major construction phase of the project.

The Arkona project, a joint venture between E.ON and Statoil, is 35 km northeast of the island of Rügen and will generate 385 MW of power (sufficient to supply around 400,000 households).

With installation of the transition pieces

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completed, attention is turning to the next phases of the project, including installation of the 6 MW Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy turbines, and preparations for the next steps are also in full swing.

STX France is building the transformer station, which will be operated jointly by E.ON and Statoil and transmission grid operator 50Hertz.

It is due to be transported from France, where it is being built, to the Baltic this spring. Once it has been installed, the turbines will be connected to it. A total of 75 km of submarine cabling required for the windfarm have already been delivered

by Nexans in Hanover, Germany, to the Arkona base port at Muran. Production of the turbines is well advanced at Siemens Gamesa.

One of the reasons that construction of the Arkona windfarm is progressing faster than expected is detailed preconstruction surveys that identified potential hazards and

characterised the nature of the seabed for individual turbines and their foundations.

This enabled all 60 foundations to be installed in just 10 weeks, which is an exceptional achievement, particularly given that the seabed in the area is particularly challenging due to the heterogeneous nature of the subsoil and possible boulders in it.

The company said that one of the keys to such rapid progress was a 3D survey of the subsoil prior to installation. The survey provided important data on the nature of the sediment at each of the sites where a foundation was due to be installed. The company also used boreholes to characterise the site – the first time this approach has been used for an offshore windfarm in German waters. The design of the steel foundations was individually adapted to the soil conditions.

The company made use of what it described as “three-dimensional seismic investigation” of the subsoil prior to installation of the monopiles. This provided windfarm-wide data that characterised the nature of the seabed at every point at which a foundation was due to be pile driven into the sediment. The company also used individual boreholes to characterise potentially difficult locations for foundations, this being the first time that such as technique had been used on a German project. Final selection of the location for each of the turbines was determined on this basis, and the design of the foundations was individually adapted to the prevailing soil conditions.

As highlighted elsewhere in this issue, the Arkona project is also the first time that a company in the offshore wind industry has used an innovative corrosion protection technique to protect the foundations.

The new coating process is less expensive and significantly reduces environmental impact during operations compared to conventional methods. OWJ

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

40 | FINANCE

FAST-CHANGING FINANCE

COULD SEE NEW ROLE FOR CORPORATES

AS THE OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY INDUSTRY HAS DEVELOPED, SO NEW SOURCES OF FINANCE ARE COMING TO THE FORE, INCLUDING POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENTS AND HEDGING Support for solar PV and onshore wind has wavered but offshore wind continues to enjoy access to incentives

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ew, more flexible sources of finance for wind energy are coming to Europe, which is perhaps just as well in the UK, where access to the European Investment Bank is in doubt and questions continue to be raised about the role of the Green Investment Group.

Late November 2017 saw the Environmental Audit Committee launch a green finance inquiry to scrutinise the UK government’s strategy to develop what the May administration has described as “world-leading green finance capabilities”.

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

Among other things, the inquiry will examine the measures set out in the government’s Clean Growth Strategy, whether the Green Investment Group (formerly the Green Investment Bank) is fulfilling commitments made by its new owners Macquarie, the UK’s future relationship with the European Investment Bank (EIB) after Brexit and whether the government’s policies are likely to deliver the levels of investment needed to meet the UK’s national and international environmental commitments.

As Environmental Audit Committee

chair Mary Creagh MP noted at the time that the inquiry was announced, “The UK needs billions of pounds of public and private investment to decarbonise the economy and upgrade our transport, energy and industrial infrastructure.

The government says it wants to be a global leader in green finance. We will scrutinise its plans in the Clean Growth Strategy … and examine what will happen to UK climate investment if we leave the European Investment Bank.”

Macquarie has committed to the GIB’s target of lending £3Bn (US$4Bn) of

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FINANCE | 41

investment in green energy projects over the next three years. It also announced that the bank will operate under the name Green Investment Group to overcome the legal and regulatory barriers to using the term ‘bank’ in some international markets.

It said it will pursue a vision “to invest in green infrastructure internationally and positively contribute to the globalisation of the renewables industry”. The EIB is an EU development bank owned by member states. In 2012–2016, it invested more than €31.3Bn (US$37.1Bn) in the British economy, including more than £13.4Bn in ‘climate projects’ including onshore and offshore windfarms.

As law firm CMS noted in a recent report, creating an attractive environment for investors in infrastructure is no easy task. Politics and policy can make or break private participation and the flow of investment – something that has never been clearer than in this year’s CMS Infrastructure Index, which ranks 40 jurisdictions in order of infrastructure investment attractiveness.

The Netherlands secured top spot in this year’s index, with a vigorous economy and transparent and efficient procurement process, together with a multibillion-Euro pipeline of road and water public private partnerships that have created an attractive, highly competitive environment for investors.

It is a different story for the UK, however.

Ranked fourth after the Netherlands, Canada and Germany, Brexit and political uncertainty are having a considerable impact on the pipeline of projects, and the National Infrastructure Commission has warned of significant challenges unless there is stronger, strategic planning around infrastructure. The UK economy has slid from a relative position of strength to registering the slowest GDP growth rate among G7 nations in Q1 2017. Meanwhile, the country’s sovereign credit rating was downgraded by the world’s three main rating agencies – Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch – in the aftermath of the Brexit referendum, losing its prized AAA rating.

As CMS noted, the lack of political consensus over new megaprojects has been the root of frustration and delays for years, with Brexit only exacerbating the situation in the short term. Any pipeline of infrastructure projects – as well as renewable energy programmes – may be affected by the scale of work required by UK institutions in preparation for Brexit, which will dominate the agenda of government and national agencies for the foreseeable future.

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The renewables industry has faced headwinds over the past few years, with support for solar PV and onshore wind withdrawn, although offshore wind continues to enjoy access to incentives under the contracts for difference framework. In September 2017, the results of the second auction round were announced, with the winning projects coming away with strike prices that are in some cases half the value of the first round, most notably 3.2 GW of offshore wind capacity.

At the same time, as CMS noted, the withdrawal of subsidies for more established technologies is driving the UK renewables market towards the development of subsidyfree projects and an environment in which developers are exploring opportunities outside the remit of government policy, such as private offtake agreements or power purchase agreements (PPAs) with corporates or large industrial energy users, many of which have an increasing appetite to buy renewable electricity. PPAs alone, however, are unlikely to deliver the level of investment required, so government needs to create a financial environment that helps enable future projects.

In a related development, a report from WindEurope and Swiss Re suggests that hedging will play an increasingly important

Pierre Tardieu: “hedging is emerging as a viable solution to mitigate the risk of variability in generation”

role in wind energy.

By 2030, only 6% of Europe’s wind energy capacity will be unexposed to market risks through support schemes, down from 75% today. This means that the transition to auctions allocating renewable energy support comes with more exposure to price risk.

One new way to address uncertainty on project revenues is hedging against volume risk, according to The Value of Hedging, WindEurope and Swiss Re Corporate Solutions’ report.

Hedging is emerging as an instrument to cover the resource risk of variable wind generation or ‘volume risk’. Auctions, feed-in premiums and PPAs take away some of the price risk. However, they still leave asset owners exposed to a degree of volume risk due to the uncertainty in the total amount and timing of wind output. If there is less wind in a given year, hedging will help to reduce the variability of returns and improves cash flow predictability to asset owners.

Due to the seasonality of wind, project owners can expect 30–45% more wind during winter than summer. An average windfarm of 30 MW may need to hedge for +/-10% annual variations in its production forecast. By reducing the variability of the returns, cash flows move closer to the profile of a fixed-income investment, similar to a bond. The increased certainty improves the capital structure of projects by reducing their cost of capital.

Risk management services such as hedging could extract a value worth €2.5Bn (US$3Bn) for new wind assets installed between 2017 and 2020. This may go up to €7.6Bn for new wind power installations between 2017 and 2030.

WindEurope’s chief policy officer Pierre Tardieu said “Installed wind capacity in Europe could double to 323 GW by 2030.

With the growth of the wind energy sector and its increased exposure to price and volume risk, there will be a need for a variety of revenue stabilisation mechanisms.

“Hedging instruments are emerging as a viable solution to mitigate some of these risks. They transfer the risk of the variability in generation from the project company to a counterparty willing to take on that risk. What they offer windfarm owners is more certainty on their income.

Certainty can reduce the cost of capital for a project. That is significant now that debt represents 40% and 70% of the capital requirements for offshore and onshore projects respectively.” OWJ

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

42 | TECHNOLOGY

Non-destructive testing assumes

growing role in offshore O&M As Philip Woodcock explains, non-destructive testing (NDT) is an increasingly commonly used technique in the maintenance of offshore windfarms, but do we really know what it is?

Drones are increasingly widely used to inspect offshore structures

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on-destructive testing is the process of inspecting, testing or evaluating materials, components or assemblies for discontinuities or differences in characteristics without destroying the serviceability of the part or system. In other words, when the inspection or test is completed, the part can still be used.

According to the British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT), it is

“the branch of engineering concerned with all methods of detecting and evaluating flaws in materials�.

NDT is used throughout the lifecycle of an offshore windfarm, but this article concentrates on the techniques used during operations to monitor the condition of blades, towers, transition pieces, foundations and secondary steel but does not look inside the nacelle or cables.

The defining feature of

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

NDT is that the process does not cause detrimental effects on the material or structure under test. However, some techniques may require cleaning of marine growth or damage to coating protection systems that will result in additional maintenance to restore protection.

Visual inspection is the original NDT technique and one that is undertaken at all times consciously and unconsciously by professionals.

It can be divided into general

visual inspection (GVI) and close visual inspection (CVI).

Visual inspections are undertaken on the topside and subsea elements of a wind turbine or other structures such as offshore substations and can be remotely or physically performed. Here, one is looking for surface breaking defects.

Remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) routinely undertake subsea GVI and, with tooling to clean away marine growth, can also conduct CVI. The use of drones is becoming more and more common for GVI of blades and towers, but at least for the time being, drones are payload limited. However, their ability to detect defects is advancing rapidly. Whichever technique is used, a key element of visual inspection is recording and reporting on results, either through still or video photography, both of which are dependent on suitable light conditions.

The acoustic method works by exciting a vibration in a material by local impact and then measuring the response of the vibrations. In its simplest form, it is like a railway wheel tapper of old, where one hears or measures a sound when coming across an occlusion.

Electromagnetic effects resulting from the interaction of electricity and magnetism form the basis of a number of NDT techniques, including eddy current testing, magnetic particle inspection (MPI), magnetic flux leakage testing and alternating current field measurement (ACFM).

Electromagnetic induction tests are applied to all stages

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TECHNOLOGY | 43

of metal and alloy fabrication and processing.

MPI is used for the detection of surface and nearsurface flaws in ferromagnetic materials and is primarily used for crack detection.

The component being tested is magnetised, and if it is sound, the magnetic flux is predominantly inside the material. If, however, there is a surface-breaking flaw, the magnetic field is distorted, causing local magnetic flux leakage around the flaw.

Eddy current testing uses a coil carrying an AC current placed close to the specimen surface or around the specimen. The current in the coil generates circulating eddy currents in the specimen close to the surface, and these in turn affect the current in the coil by mutual induction. Flaws and material variations in the specimen affect the strength of the eddy currents.

ACFM is a non-contact electromagnetic technique capable of both detecting and sizing (length and depth) defects in metals. The basis of the technique is that an alternating current flows in a thin skin near the surface of any conductor. By introducing a uniform current into an area of the component under test, when there are no defects present, the electrical current will be undisturbed. If a crack is present, the current flows around the ends and down the faces of the crack. As the technique requires no electrical contact with the surface, it can be used to inspect through paint and coatings. The technique is widely used for weld and thread inspection and for subsea inspection of offshore platforms. It can also be used on both magnetic and non-magnetic components.

Liquid penetrant testing, also known as dye penetrant or ‘dye-pen’ testing is a simple low-cost method of detecting surface-breaking flaws such as

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cracks and porosity. It requires a clean surface free of grease and cannot be used under water.

Radiography uses X-rays or gamma-rays to produce an image of an object on film.

This is a well established technique, which gives a permanent record and is widely used to detect internal flaws in metals, coatings and composite materials such as blades. However, radiography is potentially dangerous and must be performed either inside a protective enclosure or with appropriate barriers and warning signals to ensure that there is no radiation hazard to personnel, thus increasing cost and reducing workability.

Ultrasonic methods such as ultrasonic thickness measurement (UTM) of NDT use beams of mechanical waves (vibrations) of short wavelength and high frequency transmitted from a small probe and detected by the same or other probes.

The technique detects internal, hidden discontinuities that may be deep below the surface.

Thermography is a technique of obtaining an image of the heat distribution over the surface of an object.

This technique is commonly used for checking the adhesion of joints in blades. Due to the weight of equipment, this cannot be performed by drones at this time.

In the offshore wind industry, access to the work site provides many more challenges than one would find onshore in a workshop environment. For work above water, NDT technicians at least need training in offshore safety and working at heights as prescribed by the Global Wind Organisation.

However, much of topside NDT cannot be reached from ladders or platforms and thus rope access techniques as governed by IRATA are needed. This limits the number of available technicians and also the working time due to

weather limitations.

Many see drones performing GVI as the future due to the reduced risk of harm to technicians as well as reduced cost and time needed to perform an inspection.

However, as highlighted above, drones are limited in the payload that they can carry to perform tasks other than GVI, the time that they can spend aloft and the spatial accuracy for recording locations of defects.

These, however, will be overcome as technology is evolving rapidly. MME Group’s senior marketing communications officer Michaël Roerade confirmed this. “A limited part of visual inspections will be carried out with autonomous drones,” he explained. “However, the nature of NDT and especially interpretation and assessment of the results is something that – for the foreseeable future – will remain the realm of human operators.”

ROVs can be used for GVI and, if they have tooling to clean away marine growth and paint, CVI. ACFM can

be performed by ROVs for surface crack detection, lack of fusion and strain measurement.

However, according to Rana Diving’s project manager Francesco Morini, “for most subsea structures, especially the bracings of jackets, a diver takes less time and delivers a better job than trying to get a ROV to hold an accurate enough position to deliver creditable results.”

NDT destructive testing provides a key element in the lifecycle management of offshore windfarms. Although many of the techniques used offshore are similar to those used in onshore wind, the means of access, training and certification of the technicians makes it more challenging and expensive to complete.

The use of remote access techniques such as drones and ROVs will increase from general visual inspections to more indepth techniques as technology improves and gets smaller. Until then, there will be a need for access by divers and rope access technicians who can not only inspect but interpret findings based on experience. OWJ

Visual inspection and maintenance using rope access remains important but has obvious potential drawbacks (photo: Westcott Coatings)

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

44 | SERVICE OPERATION VESSELS

New SOV uses boats, not a gangway, to transfer personnel As highlighted before in OWJ, service operation vessel design has evolved rapidly in recent years – the latest delivery to Esvagt, one of the leading operators in this field, is a customised unit that uses boats to transfer personnel to turbines rather than a gangway

Esvagt Mercator does not have a motion-compensated gangway like many SOVs and will use boats to transfer personnel to turbines

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svagt’s latest service operation vessel (SOV) Esvagt Mercator was formally named at Port of Ostend in Belgium in December 2017 and has been chartered by MHI Vestas Offshore Wind.

The 58 m ship was designed for the highest possible level of efficiency and low fuel consumption and will operate from the port at which it was named, providing a base for 36 windfarm technicians for up to two weeks at sea. MHI

Vestas has an operations and maintenance base in Ostend with 65 people in permanent employment. Esvagt Mercator will support 50 turbines on the Nobelwind offshore windfarm and 55 turbines on the Belwind 1 project. Both windfarms have turbines from MHI Vestas.

The ship is equipped with three safe transfer boats (STBs) designed for safe and efficient transfer of personnel from Esvagt Mercator to turbines.

Esvagt Mercator is

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

significantly smaller than other SOVs, and it is not equipped in quite the same way as most units of this type. Unlike other SOVs, it will transfer technicians to turbines using the STBs rather than using a motion-compensated gangway of the type found on almost every other SOV. The vessel is the first of two Havyard 831 SOVs for the Danish shipowner. The second vessel, for which a contract was signed in 2017, is scheduled for completion

by August 2019.

The Havyard 831 SOV design was developed in close co-operation between Havyard Design & Solutions and Esvagt. It was built by Turkish shipyard Cemre.

The Havyard 831 SOV is 58.50 m overall with a beam of 16.60 m and draught of 5.50 m. It has a service speed of approximately 12 knots and will have two safe transfer boats, an STB 7B and an STB 12A. The owner was looking

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SERVICE OPERATION VESSELS | 45

for a fuel-efficient design with a particularly high level of manoeuvrability, given its role working in windfarms. It has a passive anti-roll system to reduce motions and ensure that the technicians housed on board are always in good shape to undertake their work.

The STBs will fitted out in house by Esvagt in order to give the company’s personnel the greatest possible insight into their design and operation.

The company sees the STBs as a game-changer in SOV operations on offshore windfarms. The concept has not been employed elsewhere by other SOV owners, and the concept behind the STBs is based on Esvagt’s many years of experience building and operating fast rescue boats (FRBs). It says that, over the many years that it has operated FRBs – primarily in the offshore oil and gas industry, where it has long provided emergency response and rescue vessels to safeguard personnel on rigs in the event of an incident – it has continually refined their design based on its experience.

“This is how Esvagt incorporates its seafaring experience into continual product improvement,” the company said. “It is also one of the reasons why Esvagt has chosen to fit out STB 7 numbers 4 and 5 itself.” The two boats are now on board Esvagt Mercator.

“We have gained valuable experience from STB operations for MHI Vestas on Esvagt Supporter (an older vessel rebuilt in 2001, which has served in the offshore oil and gas industry) that we can incorporate into the design. We know how the STBs work, and we understand the tasks they need to perform. This means that we can be even sharper at

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matching the needs that they must fulfil,” said Esvagt.

In addition to implementing experience gained, keeping development in house is also important for the company. “No one knows STBs better than we do because we designed them and built them ourselves.

And when the STBs need a yearly survey, it will be done in our workshop. This is why there is a valuable synergy to be gained by fitting and equipping them ourselves.”

MHI Vestas Offshore Wind has been active awarding contracts to other owners too and has awarded Vroon Offshore a contract for its vessel VOS Start to support the commissioning phase of the Borkum Riffgrund II offshore windfarm.

Vroon said the contract, which will came into effect in early 2018, “underlines the strong relationship between Vroon and MHI Vestas and is recognition of the service quality being delivered by VOS Start and its crew to the MHI Vestas team in the context of the commissioning of the Walney Extension offshore windfarm since August 2017.”

VOS Start is a subsea support/walk-to-work vessel with a 50-tonne active heavecompensated crane, Barge Master motion compensated gangway for personnel transfers and high-spec accommodation and office facilities for 60 people.

VOS Start was Vroon’s first walk-to-work vessel and was purpose built to support offshore operations in the renewable energy industry and walk-to-work projects in the offshore oil and gas industry. A sister vessel, VOS Stone, has also been delivered to the company and outfitted in the Netherlands.

The outfitting at Damen Shiprepair Oranjewerf followed construction of the ship at Fujian Southeast Shipbuilding in China, an arrangement that

was also followed for VOS Start, which was completed by Oranjewerf in mid-2017.

The eight-week programme for VOS Stone involved a wide range of activities, including installation of a 50-tonne active heave-compensated, knuckleboom crane, along with a tautwire system, RadaScan and Hipap from Kongsberg for the vessel’s positioning system, a boat landing and system for fuelling crew transfer vessels from the ship.

Like VOS Start, VOS Stone was purpose-built to support offshore operations in the renewable energy industry and walk-to-work projects in the offshore oil and gas industry. Shortly before it was completed, Vroon was awarded a contract for the ship by VBMS, a subsidiary of Royal Boskalis Westminster, to support inter-array cabling operations on the Arkona offshore windfarm in the Baltic. The vessel is also due to undertake operations for E.ON later this year, working on commissioning of the wind turbines at the same windfarm.

Another SOV due to enter

service shortly is Acta Marine's Acta Auriga, a newbuild DP2 walk-to-work/construction support vessel that will also be capable of undertaking work in the offshore oil and gas and offshore wind industries. At the time of writing, the vessel was at Ulstein shipyard in Norway where it is being completed.

The hull of the Ulstein SX195 vessel arrived at Ulstein towards the end of 2017 having been built

by Ulstein’s partner yard in Poland. Outfitting and completion of the vessel will include the installation of a motion compensated gangway and 3D crane from SMST in the Netherlands.

Describing the offshore access system it is providing for the vessel, SMST Designers and Constructors in the Netherlands – which is also providing a 3D motion compensated crane for the ship – said the the system is “the first of its kind” and said it offers “a complete solution for offshore logistics”.

The gangway will be mounted on an integrated tower with height adjustment

VOS Stone is the second of two high spec subsea support/walk-towork units for Vroon Offshore

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46 | SERVICE OPERATION VESSELS

and a lift for personnel and cargo. It will provide a complete package with an elevator and access bridge trolley system. The trolley system will allow pallets carrying cargo to be transported onto the elevator, which can stop at different levels to optimise the performance of the vessel.

The 3D motion compensated crane will have a lifting capacity of 6 tonnes.

Capable of working over both sides of the vessel, the gangway and tower will enable personnel from different deck levels to make their way to it without exposing them to the weather. The gangway is also capable of lifting cargo up to 1 tonne with motion compensation and will be able to handle trolleys and euro pallets of up to 300 kg.

SMST describes the combination of the access system and crane as “a modular setup that maximises utilisation and performance

Vroon said the contract “underlines the strong relationship between Vroon and MHI Vestas and is recognition of the service quality being delivered by VOS Start and its crew to the MHI Vestas team in the context of the commissioning of the Walney Extension offshore windfarm”

whilst focusing on safety and efficient transfer of cargo and personnel”. In offshore mode, the crane will be capable of lifting 10 tonnes without compensation and 6 tonnes with compensation. At maximum draught, it will have a lifting height above water level of 26 m.

On delivery, which was anticipated to take place by the end of Q1 2018, Acta Auriga will join Acta Orion, a near sister vessel, and be tendered for walk-towork, offshore logistics and accommodation services in the offshore renewable and offshore oil and gas industries.

Acta Auriga offers clients safe, stepless transfer of people and cargo using the motion compensated gangway in significant wave heights of up to Hs 3.0 m. The vessel also has a sophisticated 3D motion compensated knuckleboom crane for up to 6 tonnes of cargo that is capable of

operation in up to Hs 2.5 m.

The vessel has an optimised hullform that incorporates the Ulstein X-BOW and X-STERN in order to enhance workability in adverse weather conditions.

Thanks to the combined X-BOW and X-STERN configuration, the vessel will have a particularly high level of operational flexibility when operating at an offshore windfarm or an offshore oil and gas installation. In particular, the yard/designer claims, the X-STERN will allow for astern operations more than 70% of the time, significantly enhancing stationkeeping and manoeuvrability around turbines. The hullform will also experience substantially less slamming and hence lower levels of noise and vibrations and increased crew comfort.

It also provides accommodation facilities for up to 120 people and 1,000 m2 of deck space for cargo. OWJ

Acta Marine’s new vessel Acta Auriga has a number of interesting features, including a modular access system and crane

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

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BEST OF THE WEB | 47

BEST OF THE WEB

owjonline.com

Offshore Wind Journal’s website covers the latest technology and market developments in the offshore wind sector. Our news coverage is now exclusively online and free to read. Here are some of the most popular stories covered over the last few months

with 20 ha of land at the Port of Vlissingen.

The Port of Vlissingen is becoming an increasingly important location for Dutch offshore windfarms as a significant portion of future projects are due to be constructed there. The Dutch Government has announced three major offshore windfarm zones to be developed between 2015 and 2021: Borssele, Hollandse Kust Zuid (South) and Hollandse Kust Noord (North).

The companies confirmed that up to 50 local jobs will be created from the new agreement, with the employment ramp-up beginning in 2018. The first project for MHI Vestas at Vlissingen, scheduled for late 2018, will be the Norther offshore windfarm, which is 23 km off the Belgian coast and close to the new pre-assembly facility.

Arkona windfarm sees first use of new offshore access system

Big boost for first Australian offshore wind project as CIP joins team

http://bit.ly/2Bl7CEd

http://bit.ly/2ER0SQt

Modular battery storage system to be tested in 2018

Lower costs and new windfarms boost profits at Ørsted

Statoil has awarded a contract to Younicos to deliver a 1 MW battery system that will be connected to the Hywind Scotland floating offshore windfarm.

Once installed, the battery will store power from the windfarm and send power to the grid when required.

The battery storage solution, Batwind, will be operational from Q2 2018 and is the first time that a battery storage system has been used with a floating windfarm.

“With more renewables coming into production, it will be crucial to use storage to ensure predictable energy supply.

Batwind has the potential to add value by mitigating periods without wind and make wind energy a more reliable energy producer year round,” said Statoil.

Younicos will supply two Y.Cube modular battery containers. The batteries will be installed in the onshore substation for Hywind Scotland.

Offshore wind energy leader Ørsted says stronger winds and faster rampup of generation from the Race Bank and Walney Extension windfarms have boosted operating profit.

“Based on our preliminary and unaudited reporting, we expect an operating profit (EBITDA) of approximately Dkr22.5Bn (US$3.6Bn) for 2017, which is an improvement on our most recent outlook of around Dkr21Bn,” said the company in a 9 January statement.

Apart from strong earnings from its offshore windfarms in the final part of the year – including Race Bank and Walney Extension – earnings from partnership agreements have been better than expected due to good progress. Lower than anticipated costs for the construction contracts for Race Bank and Walney Extension also helped the company.

http://bit.ly/2j25gmX

http://bit.ly/2mlxVoG

Offshore Energy Pty Ltd and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) have entered into a partnership regarding the development of Australia’s first offshore windfarm, Star of the South.

Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners is acting on behalf of the fund Copenhagen Infrastructure III K/S (CI III). The project has so far been developed solely by Offshore Energy.

Star of the South is located off the south coast of Gippsland, Victoria. The site is 10–25 km off the coast in the Bass Strait and has an expected capacity of up to 2 GW. Further development of the site will be undertaken jointly by the partnership. http://bit.ly/2nhyG55

MHI Vestas expands Dutch footprint in long-term port deal MHI Vestas Offshore Wind and BOW Terminal in the Netherlands have reached an agreement that will provide the offshore wind turbine manufacturer

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Offshore vessel owner Vroon Offshore Services and Ampelmann, the well known provider of access systems, have joined forces for a windfarm project that will see the first use of the Ampelmann A400 gangway.

The companies will deploy a walk-towork solution for the Arkona offshore windfarm in the Baltic. Vroon’s VOS Stone, the latest addition to its offshore support fleet, will be mobilised with an Ampelmann A400 gangway system.

The A400 gangway – launched in 2017 – will be utilised for the first time for walk-to-work operations during array cabling work and commissioning of the windfarm. The vessel will deploy in March 2018 with the project due to be completed by September.

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

48 | PROFILE

NORWAY RECOGNISES OFFSHORE WIND’S ‘HUGE POTENTIAL’

A HARALD SOLBERG: "offshore wind energy has huge potential”

fter a deal in the Norwegian Parliament, Norway is to proceed with demonstration projects for floating offshore wind energy, a decision that met with approval from the CEO of Norway’s shipowners’ association.

December 2017 saw the Storting, Norway’s Parliament, approve a resolution calling for one or possibly two offshore demonstration sites for floating wind energy.

The goal behind the decision is not to provide renewable energy for the Norwegian grid, but to demonstrate the Norwegian industry’s capability in this sector. Norwegian industry associations have been pushing for demonstration projects for some time.

Norway has world-leading expertise in offshore and marine operations and in floating structures. Statoil, the country’s state oil company, was a key player in the development of Hywind Scotland, the world’s first floating offshore windfarm.

In a statement, the Ministry of Petroleum said “The government wishes to accommodate offshore wind power, in particular demonstrations of floating wind turbines.” The statement went on to say that the government wanted the demos to go ahead “as soon as possible,” but no timeframe was provided. It is anticipated that potential demonstration sites first identified in 2013 may be revisited.

The Norwegian Shipowners’ Association – many of whose members own and operate offshore vessels – supported the demonstrations.

“The association sees the need to map out opportunities for public financing of a pilot installation for floating offshore wind and the establishment of standards for certification and verification of offshore wind,” said the association. It noted that wind energy is a significant industry in Europe.

Speaking exclusively to OWJ, the chief executive of the Norwegian Shipowners’

Offshore Wind Journal | 1st Quarter 2018

Association, Harald Solberg, said the association was “delighted” with the development and glad that the Norwegian Government wants to accommodate the development of offshore wind technology in Norway.

“Norwegian companies are well placed to exploit opportunities in the fast-growing offshore wind market,” Mr Solberg told OWJ. “Many Norwegian shipowners are already playing a role in various segments of that industry.

“The potential is huge,” he said. “In fact, together with Norwegian Energy Partners, the Federation of Norwegian Industries and Export Credit Norway, we have valued the Norwegian supply chain opportunities in offshore wind at just under €3 billion per GW of installed capacity.

“However, for many small and mediumsized suppliers, it can be challenging to position themselves in a new market without a home market where they can develop their technologies and services. The Norwegian Shipowners’ Association therefore supports the development of a full-scale floating offshore wind demonstration project in Norway. At a time when things are difficult in most of our markets, it is necessary that Norwegian politicians not only maintain predictable and competitive policies but that they also support innovation, technology development and growth in new markets.”

Shortly after the announcement about the demonstration project plan, Norway’s state oil company, Statoil, which has a small but growing interest in offshore wind energy, confirmed that it might well bid to develop such as site.

“If there are [offshore wind] opportunities in Norway with a relevant incentive structure that makes it profitable, that’s obviously something that we will assess,” Eldar Sætre, Statoil’s chief executive told Reuters, although he noted that “it would have to be subsidised, definitely, for a long time.”

Statoil began feeding electricity into the grid from Hywind Scotland in October 2017. OWJ

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