Construction Ports for Floating Wind Turbines
Alan Crowle, University of Exeter
As the floating offshore wind turbine industry continues to develop and grow, the capabilities of established shipyard facilities need to be assessed as to their ability to support the expanding construction and installation requirements. This paper reviews current infrastructure requirements and projected changes to shipyard and port facilities that may be required to support the floating offshore wind industry. Understanding the infrastructure needs of the floating offshore renewable industry will help to identify the port related requirements, to support the offshore installation operations.
Naval architecture plays an important role in the construction and installation of floating offshore wind turbines.
Separate shipyards are required for substructure construction and fit-out of the turbines. Marshalling ports are required for mooring components, export cables, inter array cables and maintenance. Large areas are required for the laydown of mooring equipment, turbine blades and nacelles.
The paper will consider the capabilities of established shipyard facilities to support floating wind farm development are assessed by evaluation of size of substructures, height of wind turbine with regards to the cranes for fitting of blades, distance to offshore site and offshore installation vessel characteristics.
The paper will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using large land based cranes, inshore floating crane vessels or offshore crane vessels at the fit-out port for the installation of the turbine. Water depths requirements for import of materials and export of the completed structures will be considered.
Evolving requirement for floating wind installation vessels
Philip Lewis, Intelatus Global Partners
By 2030, close to 7 GW of commercial scale floating wind farms are planned to be commissioned. Installed capacity is forecast to reach 63 GW by 2035.
The base case assumption for floating wind projects is for large anchor handlers with a bollard pull of at least 250 tonnes and a clear back deck of over 800 square meters and subsea construction vessels with 250 tonnes AHC cranes and a 1,200 square meter deck to be deployed to pre-install mooring systems, to tow the structures and to hook-up the floating turbines.
Competing demand from oil & gas projects and an aging fleet present a supply-side challenge. Further, chain and fiber rope handling capacities will challenge much of the existing fleet capabilities and creating the conditions for new build demand.
To reflect the unique challenges of floating wind, a new generation of vessel designs are emerging. Common features are: bollard pull of 400 tonnes and more; AHC cranes of at least 250 tonnes; large winch drum volume (over 800 cubic meters) to provide flexibility in operation; large chain lockers of at least 2,500 cubic meters capable of handling 220-millimeter chain; large back decks of at least 1,000 square meters to carry multiple anchor types; two Work Class ROVs; under deck space for mooring equipment storage; flexibility to support different tensioning options ; low or zero emissions operations coupled with fuel flexibility; and embedded digitalization.
The economics of such a vessel are challenging, with such a specification expected to cost $175-200 million.
Cost-efficient floating wind designs (including structures, moorings, anchoring, risers etc.)
Mark Goalen, Houlder Limited
Floating offshore wind is a truly exciting global opportunity that will play a core role in the energy transition. However, barriers to full commercialisation exist that must be addressed and overcome. Choosing the right structure type and floating foundation, which includes mooring and anchoring, for each site is key. This is not an easy decision to make. Technical challenges, such as a floating foundation's motion response to environmental conditions, must be considered. Plus, there are several operational factors to analyse, including supply chains, port infrastructure, and O&M.
No single, definitive structure type or floating foundation will be optimal for every site. There are many variables that will impact the decision, including a technologies' operability, reliability, practicality, readiness, CAPEX, OPEX and potential longevity to name a few. A developer must choose a foundation that is most suitable for the wind farm they are developing and, given that many developers' portfolios are global, that will vary from site to site. Independent, objective strategic and technical consultancy can aid developers in commercialising floating wind - ensuring that costs and risks are minimised, timeframes are realistic, and efficiency is maximised.
With the right collaboration, and investment supported by technical analysis, the barriers to floating wind can and will be overcome. Ultimately, this will allow floating offshore wind to fulfil its potential in supporting the global energy transition.
Challenges in Managing Integrity of Floating Offshore Installations
Renjeev Kurup, UK HSE
Energy Division of UK HSE is responsible for regulating offshore installations operating in UKCS. UKCS hosts a range of different types of floating offshore installations, both permanent and mobile. Some of these installations have been at location for more than 25 years without leaving the field, the longest period a floating installation has operated in UKCS without dry docking exceeded 36 years. Operating in harsh environment such as North Sea brings enormous challenges in maintaining maritime integrity of these installations. Some of the key issues include maintaining watertight integrity and stability, integrity of mooring/station keeping systems, operation and maintenance of bilge and ballast systems, collision avoidance, integrity of escape ways and emergency equipment etc. A review of some of the maritime integrity challenges that these installations face will be presented along w ith some insight into current industry practices and guidance on managing maritime integrity through design, operation, maintenance, and inspection.
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