Fred Olsen 1848 has developed an operations and maintenance solution and procedure for major component exchange for the floating foundation Brunel.
The Brunel Maintenance Solution will enable large component exchange directly at the floating offshore wind site in a safe and cost-efficient manner.
This reduces project risk and avoids towing the foundation to shore, the company stated.
Building on the experience and proven track record of Fred Olsen related companies engaged in both bottom-fixed and floating wind projects, Fred Olsen 1848 is designing a unique solution that features a barge fitted with both a jacking system and a compatible crane that attaches itself to the Brunel foundation.
This removes the need for dynamic lifts, reduces complexity in replacement operations, and at the same time creates a working area on the barge to handle the components.
The geometry of Brunel allows for a jack-up barge to enter from the side of the foundation, towed in by regular tugs, and mobilise for lifting operations.
The barge will jack down and affix on the top of the pontoons to allow for fast mobilisation and enables Brunel to remain in operational draft.
Sofie Olsen Jebsen, CEO, Fred Olsen 1848, said: “A floating foundation will never succeed unless it comes with a strong integrated solution that keeps the complexity and cost down for the O&M phase of projects.
“Therefore, this solution is an important step both in our development of Brunel and for the realisation of floating wind farms on a commercial scale.”