Safer offshore wind installation

New partners are encouraged to join Phase 2, which will focus on validating models and establishing best-practice guidelines.

Offshore wind turbine installation is currently limited to benign weather conditions to reduce the impact of jack-up legs hitting the seabed during the set-down phase. This results in increased costs and delays. Moreover, earthquake-prone regions also require new operation philosophies such as operating the crane with the installation vessel in a semi-jacked condition.

“As the industry moves further into new territory with harsher weather, less forgiving seabed conditions and seismic areas, there is an increased urgency to widen the weather window so projects can be completely more efficiently,” explained JIP steering committee chair Andries Hofman of GustoMSC.

The absence of guidelines and models to cater for these scenarios triggered the formation of the JIP in November 2020.

Phase 1 resulted in a numerical model to accurately predict bottom-impact forces and simulate semi-jacked conditions. The JIP is now open to more partners to join the second phase. Along with DNV, current partners include DEME Offshore, EDF Renouvelables, Fred Olsen Windcarrier, GustoMSC, Huisman Equipment, Jan De Nul, Ocean Winds, Ørsted, RWE Renewables, Seajacks UK, Van Oord Offshore Wind and Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore.