The Anonymous Widower

How Sideshore Technology Can Optimise The Layout Of Your Offshore Wind Farm By Applying State-Of-The-Art Algorithms

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

Smarter offshore wind farm layouts will accelerate the energy transition

These paragraphs outline the problem.

Wind farm layout optimisation is the art of defining the optimal locations of wind turbines, infield cables and substation structures. It presents a golden opportunity to increase project value.

The academic community has done extensive research into numerical wind farm layout optimization, however, in real projects, it is hardly ever applied. Wind farm layout optimisation is complex because it is multidisciplinary. A wind farm development is typically split into work packages (turbine, foundations, cables, substation). The location of each turbine influences the project cost across the various work packages. While wake effects are important, other aspects need to be considered as well. For example, water depth affects the foundation size. Turbulence levels need to be restricted. And cables, seabed preparation, and soil conditions are often neglected, while they too can have a substantial impact on costs. Fully optimising the turbine positions requires not only insight into wake interactions and the cost drivers across all work packages but also a way of linking everything together.

My project management software writing experience would take a system like this further and use the output pf their system to create the project network for a project management system.

The possibilities then are endless.

March 15, 2023 Posted by | Computing, Energy | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Project Launches To Pair Offshore Wind With Sustainable Food Production

Note that it’s a little over a fortnight to April Fool’s Day!

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

Win@Sea, a new collaboration between Vattenfall and Danish universities and companies, will investigate how to produce offshore wind power and sustainable food – all while improving the marine environment and biodiversity in the same marine area.

This is the first paragraph.

The partners will look into whether an offshore wind farm could simultaneously produce fossil-free electricity and sustainable food while also contributing positively to biodiversity in the same area.

But this report is not alone, in using the sea as a farm.

It sounds to me like a case of great minds thinking alike.

March 15, 2023 Posted by | Energy, Food | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

UK Ports Need GBP 4 Billion Investment To Help Unleash Floating Offshore Wind Industry – Report

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

A new report by the Floating Wind Offshore Wind Taskforce says up to eleven ports around the UK will need to be transformed as fast as possible into new industrial hubs to enable the roll-out of floating offshore wind at scale

This is the first paragraph.

The report contains a series of recommendations which could see 34 GW of floating wind installed in UK waters by 2040 if the country’s government takes swift and decisive action. At present Ministers have set a target of 5 GW by 2030.

What a lorra lorra lot of wind! (With apologies to Cilla!)

March 15, 2023 Posted by | Energy | , , , , | 1 Comment

RWE Conducting Seabed Habitat Survey For 3 GW Offshore Wind Farm In UK

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

RWE is performing a benthic survey off the northeast coast of the UK, where the company plans to build its 3 GW Dogger Bank South (DBS) Offshore Wind Farm.

That sounds like another 3 GW will soon be on its way.

In How Long Does It Take To Build An Offshore Wind Farm?, I said that six years from planning permission to commissioning was typical, so as this wind farm is applying for planning permission in 2024, I would expect that a completion date of 2030 is possible.

March 15, 2023 Posted by | Energy | , , , | 1 Comment

Call For Innovations In Offshore Wind – RWE Launches Global Innovation Competition 2023

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from RWE.

This is the sub-heading.

Solutions wanted in the domains of ecology, circularity and system integration – Deadline for submission is 17th of April 2023

This is the first paragraph.

RWE, one of the world leaders in offshore wind, has launched its second annual Innovation Competition. The company is looking for solutions in the domains of ecology, system integration and circularity in offshore wind. RWE is dedicated to exploring and supporting innovative solutions that can both accelerate the pace of deployment of offshore wind, as well as contribute to sustainable development of offshore wind farms worldwide.

As someone who explored the dynamics of towing out and erecting floating oil platforms in the 1970s, I don’t think my experience fits entering. But I’ll be thinking about something.

March 15, 2023 Posted by | Energy | , , | Leave a comment

World’s First Offshore Vessel Charging System Completes Harbour Trials

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

MJR Power and Automation, together with Blackfish Engineering and Tidal Transit, have completed the harbour trials of the company’s platform-mounted automated offshore power and charging system.

Reading the article, this appears to be a very comprehensive system, that allows electric or hybrid wind farm servicing vessels to top up their batteries efficiently before returning to base.

Surely, it is better to do it this way by developing the charging network before bringing the battery and hybrid vessels into service.

March 15, 2023 Posted by | Design, Energy, Transport/Travel | , , | Leave a comment

Dogger Bank Wind Farm Officially Celebrates Its Operations And Maintenance Base Opening

The title of this post is the same as that of this news item on the Dogger Bank wind farm web site.

These bullet points introduce the item.

  • 150 guests and employees gathered to celebrate the official opening.
  • The state-of-the-art base will be the hub for operations and monitor 5% of UK electricity from its control room.
  • Over 400 long-term jobs have been created locally to support Operations and Maintenance from South Tyneside for the 35-year life of the wind farm.
  • The world-class facility will be operated in line with the UK Green Building Council’s (UKGBC) Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework

This Google Map shows the location of the base.

The red arrow indicates the base, which appears to be convenient for the North Sea.

This second Google Map shows a close up if the site.

There is a nice long quayside, which in the future could be large enough to assemble floating turbines.

This third image is a Google Map 3D visualisation of the site from across the Tyne.

The news item says this about the ownership and operation of the Dogger Bank wind farm.

Dogger Bank Wind Farm is a joint venture between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Vårgrønn (20%). SSE Renewables is lead operator for the development and construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm. Equinor will be lead operator of the wind farm on completion for its expected operational life of around 35 years.

Initially, the Port of Tyne base will operate and maintain these wind farms.

  • Dogger Bank A – 1235 MW
  • Dogger Bank B – 1235 MW
  • Dogger Bank C – 1218 MW

This gives a total of 3688 MW.

Note.

  1. SSE Renewables and Equinor are also developing the 1500 MW Dogger Bank D wind farm.
  2. This would bring the total up to 5188 MW.
  3. RWE are also developing the 3000 MW Dogger Bank South wind farm.

Leases were signed for both the Dogger Bank D and Dogger Bank South wind farms in January 2023.

I doubt all of these wind farms will be operated and maintained from the Port of Tyne base, due to the different ownership of Dogger Bank South.

But, I do hope that the facility can be expanded to handle Dogger Bank D.

March 15, 2023 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Welsh Government Greenlights Erebus Floating Offshore Wind Farm

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

The Welsh Government has granted consent for the country’s first floating offshore wind farm located 40 kilometres off the coast of Pembrokeshire

This is the first paragraph.

Project Erebus will feature seven next-generation 14 MW turbines on floating platforms, providing enough renewable energy to power 93,000 homes.

This near 100 MW project is the first in the Celtic Sea, where there 4 GW are to be installed in the next decade.

This is another paragraph.

Future phases of the development could realise an additional 20 GW of renewable energy, according to the Government.

Wales is not going to be short of energy!

March 13, 2023 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , | Leave a comment

UK Company Introduces Robotic Ecosystem For Offshore Wind Farm Inspections

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

Marshall Futureworx, the venture building and advanced technologies arm of Marshall of Cambridge, has unveiled plans to provide offshore wind farm inspection services using a resident robotic ecosystem.

These two paragraphs outline the system.

Lilypad is an ecosystem of multiple autonomous BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) which utilise artificial intelligence and navigational sensors to provide dynamic and on-demand offshore inspection services, Marshall Futureworx said.

The UAVs are deployed from dedicated offshore charging stations and monitored by a single remote pilot stationed in an onshore command and control centre. Inspection data and reports are then transmitted back to the wind farm operators, which is said to enable faster, more frequent, reliable, and predictive maintenance scheduling and more effective utilisation of assets.

I can think of lots of uses for a system like this.

March 10, 2023 Posted by | Artificial Intelligence, Design, Energy | , , , , | Leave a comment

UK Consortium Wins GBP 1.5 Million Funding For Offshore Charging Station

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

A collaboration of UK green technology pioneers has been awarded GBP 1.5 million in funding to install what they say is “the world’s first offshore charging station within a UK wind farm”

These three paragraphs outline the project.

The funding was awarded as part of the Department for Transport and Innovate UK’s GBP 60 million Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC).

Project leaders Oasis Marine have partnered with Turbo Power Systems, Verlume, and the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult to deliver the Offshore Charging Station solution.

This smart energy and charging infrastructure could enable fully electric maritime operations within offshore wind farms.

Note.

  1. The offshore charging station would enable many more wind farms to be served by electric or hybrid ships.
  2. Impressive reductions of carbon dioxide emissions are claimed in the article.
  3. The tests will be carried out in Aberdeen Bay.

Given, that it is intended that offshore oil and gas operations are being decarbonised, I can see no reason, why ships working in that industry, can use similar technologies.

March 8, 2023 Posted by | Energy | , , , | Leave a comment