Kongsberg and the University of Plymouth in the UK have teamed up to create a new system that can simulate conditions to enhance the installation as well as the operation and maintenance of floating wind farms.
Kongsberg Digital is combining simulator technology to provide a synthetic offshore wind environment with the university’s research and development expertise to provide offshore wind project teams and crew with facilities to verify, test and optimise installation and maintenance projects.
Kongsberg’s dynamic positioning (DP) simulator will be installed at the university’s campus.
The K-Sim DP simulator has the “necessary fidelity and realism required for thorough studies, mission planning, training and assessment of crew, where various challenging scenarios can be evaluated and optimised in a safe environment”.
K-Sim DP will be used to simulate, test and optimise marine operations throughout the lifecycle of floating wind installations.
This will provide key insights into solutions that will increase efficiency in both installations and operational maintenance, increasing safety and cost-effectiveness for the companies involved.
In addition to the research aspect, it will also be used to develop training for current and future industry professionals, helping to meet the national and international demand for such expertise in line with the global net-zero agenda.
Professor Deborah Greaves, professor of ocean engineering and director of the Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy Hub, said: “This simulator could be a game-changer in the future deployment of floating offshore wind technology.
“As the sector expands, we need to develop innovative and effective ways of installing the technology in new and challenging environments. I believe our partnership with Kongsberg, and the opportunity to learn from their experience and expertise, can make significant strides in helping us to achieve that.”
The new DP simulator has been acquired through the university’s involvement in the Cornwall FLOW Accelerator project.
Led by Celtic Sea Power and supported by a grant of £4.8m from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Growth Programme, the project will support Cornwall’s ambitions to take a leading role in the global floating offshore wind sector.