Dutch research institutes Marin and Deltares have completed a test campaign examining aspects of the installation and transportation of gravity-based foundations for the offshore wind sector.
The testing covered the full operation – from port to fully ballasted on the seabed – of the structures using three model basins over 14 weeks.
Deltares project manager Bo Terp Paulsen said: “We have created a truly unique data set which has given us a better understanding of the dynamic behaviour of gravity-based structures during transportation and installation.”
The next phase of the project will use numerical models to drive simulators at Marin that will allow tugboat captains to practice “critical moments of the transportation and installation phases”.
The results will provide feedback to engineers and designers for future work on foundations.
The tests are part of the gravity-based wind turbine foundation joint industry project, which was initiated by Marin, Deltares, Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands, Witteveen & Bos and Vuyk Engineering.
The initiative also includes Deme, Besix, Saipem, Jan de Nul, Statoil, Strukton, Bureau Veritas, ALP Maritime and Monobase Wind.
Image: gravity-base foundations were installed at EDF Energy Renewables’ 41.5MW Blyth offshore demo in the UK (EDF)
Dutch advance gravity-base case
Research institutes complete first phase of testing foundation installation
By EBS