Acteon's scale of mooring components for floating wind projects infographic
Did you know that the mooring components for floating wind farms are significantly larger than those used in oil and gas projects?
The mooring lines for floating wind turbines will be a mix of chain and fibre rope. The size of chain links is considerably different:
- 76 mm stud link chain is used to moor oil rigs. Each link weighs 42kg
- 175mm – 230 mm studless chain will be used for floating wind turbines. Each link weighs between 476 and 1,100 kg
- About 2,000 average-sized cars could hang from ONE R4 230 mm diameter chain link. In comparison, an R4 76 mm diameter chain link has a break load six times lower.
- Connectors and pins are in proportion to the other mooring components.
As for anchors, there are a variety of anchors that can be used for floating wind, from drag anchor to suction pile and driven/drilled pile. The anchor selection will depend on factors such as mooring loads, soil conditions, supply chain, logistics and installation. Intermoor, Acteon's Moorings and Anchors business line, provides engineering-based insights to help with anchor selection, as well as fabrication, procurement and logistics services.
A drag anchor commonly used in oil and gas weighs about 10-12 tons, whereas one used for a floating wind project is between 35 and 40 tons.
The logistical implications are considerable.
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