CONTINUING THE OEEC DISCUSSION: UNLOCKING THE POWER OF FLOATING WIND

Offshore Energy Exhibition & Conference (OEEC) is Europe’s leading event for the entire offshore energy industry attended by business leaders, highly qualified experts, and professionals across global markets focusing on energy transition offshore wind including hydrogen. Acteon was one of over 400 exhibitors showcasing their experience and expertise in offshore wind, oil and gas, marine energy, and more. We had a strong presence and hosted an exhibition stand in a prime position on the show floor and participated in the conference speaker line-up. Acteon’s focus was on ‘Unlocking the power of floating wind: Leveraging insights from O&G and fixed wind’. 

Drawing insights from challenging oil and gas (O&G) projects and fixed wind experiences, the development of floating wind leverages valuable learnings. By optimising the design, construction, and operational phases of wind farms, a balance between capital expenditure and operational costs can be achieved. While floating wind differs from floating O&G in terms of systems and components, some synergies allow the application of proven design methodologies and techniques from historic developments for more efficient installation, operations, and eventual decommissioning. 

The choice between fixed and floating foundations hinges on the water depth of the installation location. Transitioning to deeper waters introduces a shift from a largely static to a more dynamic and intricate system. Floating wind emerges as a cost-efficient alternative to fixed in depths beyond 150 meters, especially in regions where fixed wind installations are impractical due to water depths and seabed conditions. Techniques for accelerating floating wind projects include: 

• Addressing complex engineering challenges by designing and engineering subsea components as a holistic system, rather than individually. 
• Utilising drilling technology designed for fixed wind to efficiently install anchor systems for floating wind. 
• Adopting a risk-based approach, similar to the O&G sector, for scheduled maintenance and inspection of subsea components. This includes implementing a comprehensive spares philosophy to mitigate mooring failures and employing a digital response twin for additional data to support operations and validate designs for future wind farms.

Explore our full discussion from the Offshore Energy Exhibition and Conference, featuring Tim Eyles, Vice President – Acteon, and Ben Andrew, Director – 2H, an Acteon brand, to delve into the challenges and solutions associated with floating offshore wind development and O&M.