Vestas’ factory facilities focus on manufacturing blades for the V174 offshore turbine. Demand for this product is coming to an end, and constraints at the site mean it is not suitable for the next generation of offshore blades.
However, following an agreement in principle with the U.K. government, Vestas intends to repurpose the factory to build onshore blades, mainly to support the U.K. market. Vestas appreciates that the current U.K. government has leaned forward to enable this change.
Since 2002, Vestas’ facilities on the Isle of Wight have played an integral role in the manufacture of turbine blades for wind projects across the world.
Vestas will repurpose the Isle of Wight factory to manufacture onshore blades. (Courtesy: Vestas)
This transition to onshore blades will see the facility help meet increased demand for onshore wind energy in the country, which has been boosted following the government’s decision to remove the de facto onshore wind ban in England and with its focus on building domestic supply chains.
Current manufacturing operations at the Isle of Wight employ about 600 people across manufacturing, logistics, and support functions. The agreement in principle with the U.K. government to transition to new activities will sustain approximately 300 jobs in manufacturing activities. In addition, Vestas will offer a significant number of opportunities in other parts of our business. These opportunities will include roles supporting U.K. operations and other Vestas factories.
Technology activities, which employ about 140 people on the island, are not affected by this decision and will remain a company center of excellence for blade research, design, and development.
“We have invested in jobs and manufacturing activities on the Isle of Wight for more than two decades, and we have great pride in the technical expertise that has been developed at the site,” said Anders Nielsen, Group CTOO of Vestas. “We are pleased that this partnership in principle with the U.K. government means we can continue manufacturing activities at the Isle of Wight to support the deployment of onshore wind in the U.K.
The commitment to domestic manufacturing and clean energy from the new government and Secretary of State has been instrumental in making this decision. My sincere gratitude goes to everyone working for us on the Isle of Wight, for their significant contribution to wind energy, and we are pleased to be retaining, and offering a significant number of opportunities for our impacted colleagues during this process.”
Vestas will now go into a consultation process with employee representatives and aims to have clarity for most employees this month.
Weidmuller USA, a provider of smart industrial connectivity and automation products and solutions headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, recently unveiled the M3000 and M4000 series of PAC Controllers for the perfect pairing of IT and OT for a wide array of industrial settings.
Weidmuller USA’s M3000 and M4000 series of PAC Controllers. (Courtesy: Weidmuller USA)
This highly advanced Programmable Automation Controller (PAC) series integrates the functionality of a PLC and a PC with a control and edge system in one device. “With multi-core technology, faster processing and more memory, these PAC Controllers significantly boost the speed of a company’s operations, from the factory floor to edge devices,” said Ken Crawford, senior director of automation at Weidmuller USA.
“Also, they feature Weidmuller’s patented u-OS – an open operating system installed with Codesys compatibility – as well as a universal USB-C port and a choice of two or four Ethernet ports. Users can open the box and be completely set up within minutes.”Highlights of the PAC Controllers include modular design that allows for easy integration of IT and OT components.
“Weidmuller is committed to continuously growing an automation ecosystem that makes our solutions more flexible, open, and future-proof for all industrial settings,” Crawford said. “The PAC Controllers are ideal for integrating automation solutions into the full spectrum of IoT environments.”
Vestas recently received a 315 MW order for the Oga Katagami Akita Offshore Wind Project in Akita Prefecture, Japan. Oga Katagami Akita Offshore Green Energy LLC., a consortium consisting of JERA Co., Inc., Electric Power Development Co., Ltd. (J-POWER), Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc. (Tohoku EPCO), and ITOCHU Corp. are developing the project.
Vestas earns its first firm order in the Asia Pacific region. (Courtesy: Vestas)
This marks Vestas’ first firm order for its V236-15.0 MW turbine in the Asia Pacific region, as well as the first firm order for a project to be developed under the Japanese government’s offshore wind auctions based on the Renewable Energy Sea Area Utilization Act.The order includes 21 V236-15.0 MW turbines as well as a long-term service agreement designed to ensure optimized performance of the assets.
“We are honored to partner with JERA, J-POWER, Tohoku EPCO, and ITOCHU on this landmark project for Asia Pacific’s offshore wind industry and provide them with our flagship offshore wind technology,” said Purvin Patel, President of Vestas Asia Pacific. “This milestone reflects our ongoing commitment to advancing clean-energy solutions and building the long-term future of the offshore wind market in the Asia Pacific region.”
“We are delighted to work with Vestas for this significant project,” said Atsushi Yuihara, representative executive officer at Oga Katagami Akita Offshore Green Energy LLC.
“Through successful delivery and operation of the project, we will contribute to a carbon neutral society in Japan and the revitalization of Akita’ local economy.”
Vestas’ flagship offshore wind turbine, the V236-15.0 MW is built on world-class technology and received its type certification last year, ensuring safety and quality. Since its launch, Vestas has secured more than 6 GW of firm orders, proving the turbine variant’s competitiveness across offshore markets. The project site is off the coast of Oga, Katagami, and Akita in Akita prefecture. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2026, while commissioning is planned in 2027. The wind farm is scheduled to begin operations in June 2028.
Vestas recently received a 270 MW order to power an undisclosed wind project in the U.S. The order consists of 60 V163-4.5 MW turbines, Vestas’ newest high-capacity factor turbine and the project has been developed by Steelhead Americas, Vestas’ North American development arm.
Vestas recently won a 270-MW order to power a project in the U.S. (Courtesy: Steelhead Americas)
The order includes supply, delivery, and commissioning of the turbines, as well as a multi-year Active Output Management 5000 (AOM 5000) service agreement. “We’re pleased to close out 2024 by continuing to deliver significant projects across the U.S. and meet the growing demand for homegrown electricity while strengthening America’s energy independence and security,” said Laura Beane, president of Vestas North America.
“We’re also grateful to the expertise of Steelhead Americas for developing this project, a testament to their growing track record of creating meaningful business opportunities for communities across the U.S.”Steelhead Americas led all development efforts including permitting, land acquisition, and construction design to deliver the customer a project that is ready for construction and installation.
“Steelhead has a track-record of successfully delivering high-quality wind projects that fuel economic growth and bring meaningful local benefits,” said Chris Rogers, president of Steelhead Americas, a Vestas company.
“This project exemplifies that success. By harnessing local wind resources and infrastructure, along with the support of local landowners eager to bring the benefits of wind energy, we can enhance grid reliability and strengthen the local economy.” With a growing track record of opening new markets, including Mississippi and Arkansas, Steelhead is a wind-focused traditional flip renewable energy developer in the U.S. that develops projects in-house from greenfield stage up to shovel ready. To date, Steelhead has delivered almost 4 GW of renewable energy projects in North America with more than 5 GW in the pipeline, contributing to Vestas’ global development track record of 28 GW project pipeline and 7 GW of firm order intake from development activities.Turbine delivery begins in the first quarter of 2026.
Aerones, a leader in robotic wind-turbine inspection and maintenance, is revolutionizing wind energy with automation and saw record-breaking growth in 2024.
Ashley Crowther has joined the management team as chief commercial officer, bringing 20 years of experience in turbine reliability and analytics and a track record of growing technology companies that reduce the cost of turbine operations.
Aerones names Ashley Crowther as new chief commercial officer. (Courtesy: Aerones)
“Blades are a considerable pain point right now, and there are challenges that must be addressed if we are to deliver the energy transformation; improvements are needed across manufacturing quality, reliability, skilled labor and in predictive analytics, and the industry is responding,” Crowther said.
Known for its hardware for turbine inspections and repairs, Aerones is now advancing into AI-driven analytics, creating a customer platform for data-driven decision-making. These innovations support reliability centered maintenance practices by expanding the range of preventative and predictive options for blades.
Aerones’ advanced robotics, particularly for blade leading-edge repairs, is scaling to meet growing demand. Recent expansions include a new hub in Dallas, Texas, enhanced operations in the U.S. and EU, and new services in Australia, ensuring its solutions reach key markets.
“When I saw the innovation that Aerones has achieved with these novel robotic solutions, and the breadth of adoption by experienced operators, I was excited to jump on board,” Crowther said. “Given the scale the industry needs to achieve, there won’t be enough skilled labor, and it’s too expensive to maintain the blades properly, the automation addresses this perfectly. We will drive down these costs.”
Aerones’ robots collect vast amounts of data to train algorithms that optimize inspection and repair schedules, transforming turbine maintenance and are being used across the life cycle, from the factory through to life extension.
Aerones is also investing in workforce development, positioning itself as a leading employer in the clean energy sector.
MISTRAS Group, Inc., a “one source” multinational provider of integrated technology-enabled asset protection solutions, recently appointed Natalia Shuman as MISTRAS Group’s new president and chief executive officer (CEO).
New MITRAS CEO Natalie Shuman has more than two decades of leadership experience. (Courtesy: MISTRAS Group)
Shuman brings more than two decades of leadership experience to MISTRAS Group, having held executive roles at prominent global organizations in the testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) industry. Most recently, as group executive vice president and group operating council member for Eurofins Scientific, she led more than 12,000 employees, driving growth strategies, operational excellence, and strategic value creation. Known for scaling billion-dollar enterprises through organic growth and M&A, Shuman has a proven track record of fostering strong teams and delivering value-driven solutions.
Shuman succeeds Manuel N. Stamatakis as the CEO. Stamatakis will continue in the role of executive chairman of the board, providing oversight and support to the CEO and the company’s leadership team.
“(The) announcement is the result of a deliberate, rigorous search to find the right leader to continue MISTRAS Group’s pursuit of profitable growth and sustainable improvement in shareholder value,” Stamatakis said. “Natalia’s extensive experience, proven leadership, and fresh perspective make her the ideal choice to guide MISTRAS toward achieving its strategic goals and unlocking its full potential.”
“I’m honored to join MISTRAS Group to lead the company into its next phase of growth,” Shuman said. “Working alongside Manny, the Board of Directors, and the leadership team, I am committed to building on the strong foundation established and driving meaningful value for all our stakeholders.”
Shuman has demonstrated an ability to achieve results in business-to-business services, spanning manufacturing, energy, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, industrial services, and construction.
As North American CEO for Bureau Veritas, Shuman oversaw 7,000 employees across 130 offices and laboratories in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. She spearheaded a period of growth and transformation, steering the company to a diversified, more resilient business model. She also championed a unified “one company” culture, elevating brand recognition in North America.
Vaisala, a leader in measurement technology, is launching a new solution for industrial indoor and process measurements, Vaisala Echo. Echo connects Vaisala measurement devices and monitoring software to create an intelligent measurement infrastructure. In practice, customers will not buy Echo separately, because it is a built-in feature for Echo-compatible Vaisala measurement products.
Vaisala Echo has been designed to provide the superior benefits of an intelligent indoor measurement infrastructure – but as a built-in feature to selected Vaisala measurement products and solutions. (Courtesy: Vaisala)
Many organizations rely on accurate indoor environment measurements, but traditionally only large corporations have had the resources to build measurement infrastructures with advanced features such as remote monitoring and easy scalability.
Vaisala Echo has been designed to provide the benefits of an intelligent indoor measurement infrastructure – but as a built-in feature to selected Vaisala measurement products and solutions.
“With Echo, the days of manually setting up indoor monitoring systems are over,” said Jarno Mitjonen, software product manager at Vaisala. “The Echo infrastructure gives easy, reliable, always-on access to data and alerts from all compatible devices. You pick what you need, based on your measurement, oversight, and reporting needs – and Vaisala guarantees that all instruments talk to the monitoring software, securely, and without glitches.”
According to Mitjonen, certain condition-sensitive industries will benefit the most from measurement infrastructures like Echo. These include industrial manufacturing, pharma and laboratories, museums and archives, and indoor and vertical farming. Typically, these sectors will need to measure various parameters like humidity, temperature, CO2, or dew point.
Although large corporations will also benefit from the easy installation and connectivity that Echo brings, Mitjonen believes the benefits of Echo can best be seen in small- and mid-size companies, where maintaining optimal conditions is crucial, but where resources do not allow the creation of the tailor-made systems that are often seen in larger enterprises.
“We believe industrial companies should have access to all the measurement data they need, when and where they need it, regardless of the size of their IT budget,” Mitjonen said.
“With this release, Vaisala wants to level the playing field. Our clients should focus on their business, not on setting up or managing measurement systems.”
Echo provides easy access to comprehensive reporting – both current and historic. Echo’s reporting on ambient conditions is also real-time and enables notifications and alerts.
Remote access to trustworthy and comparable data can help geographically scattered companies compare sites to identify anomalies and take appropriate action to meet corporate targets. This helps reduce costs as it eliminates the need to travel to check and verify the data.
“We built Echo to be secure from the get-go,” Mitjonen said. “All data is encrypted in transit and rest, and secured with digital certificates. Echo also enables remote firmware updates for all connected devices.
In today’s world, companies need to be able to update their connected devices when the need arises. The result is upgraded security over the whole lifecycle of the measurement infrastructure.”
A landmark six-year study conducted by Natural Resource Solutions Inc. (NRSI) has shown that combining NRG Systems, Inc.’s Bat Deterrent System with operational curtailment can reduce bat fatalities at wind plants by up to 91 percent. The research, carried out on wind projects in Ontario, Canada, highlights the potential of NRG’s ultrasonic acoustic deterrent technology to protect bat populations while optimizing renewable energy production.
Introduced in 2018, NRG Systems’ Bat Deterrent System is designed to minimize turbine curtailment while protecting bat populations. Curtailment, though effective, reduces energy production by increasing cut-in speed.
NRG Systems’ Bat Deterrent Systems have been deployed successfully on wind plants across North America, Europe, Africa, and Australia. (Courtesy: NRG Systems)
The study, which spanned from 2017 to 2022, assessed bat fatality rates at two wind facilities in southern Ontario. Using 10 turbines in the study sample, researchers compared three treatment scenarios: baseline operations, a 5.5 m/s operational curtailment, and a 5.5 m/s operational curtailment paired with the NRG Bat Deterrent System, mounted on turbine nacelles. Key bat species observed included the Big Brown Bat, Hoary Bat, Eastern Red Bat, and Silver-haired Bat.
When curtailment was paired with acoustic deterrents, significant reductions in fatalities per turbine were observed compared to baseline operations. The Big Brown Bat saw the largest reduction (91 percent), followed by the Silver-haired Bat (76 percent), Hoary Bat (75 percent), and Eastern Red Bat (57 percent). Notably, the addition of NRG’s Bat Deterrent System further reduced fatality rates by 26-82 percent compared to curtailment alone, depending on the species.
“Historically, curtailment has been the primary solution for reducing bat fatalities at wind plants,” said Evan Vogel, NRG Systems president. “While effective, relying solely on curtailment compromises energy output and reduces a project’s return on investment. By pairing curtailment with NRG’s Bat Deterrent System, owners and operators achieve a further reduction in bat fatalities, while maintaining more consistent energy production. This is a win-win approach that supports both project success and conservation efforts.”
“Reducing bat fatalities on operational wind projects is a critical issue, particularly as several bat species face increasing regulatory protections in Canada and the U.S.,” said Charlotte Teat, senior terrestrial and wetland biologist at NRSI and the study’s co-author. “Our findings underscore the value of acoustic deterrents as an effective tool for mitigating impacts to bat populations without further increasing cut-in speeds for curtailment, enabling more effective wind energy development – a crucial tool in addressing climate change.”
Parkwind, a leader in offshore wind development, recently announced a partnership with Shoreline Wind to implement its Design software. This partnership will support the design and construction phase of Parkwind’s planned offshore wind projects. Parkwind will look to optimize the construction phase of new projects, expediting installations of turbines and across the site, shortening the time for projects to become operational.
Parkwind announced a partnership with Shoreline Wind. (Courtesy: Parkwind)
Using Shoreline’s AI-powered Design software to simulate the construction phase, Parkwind will analyze multiple data streams to create the most efficient strategy. This includes the allocation of resources for maximum efficiency and predicting weather patterns to ensure costly resources, such as jack-up vessels — which can incur expenses of up to $300,000 a day — are dispatched to the right location at the right time. Furthermore, by using the design tool for precise scheduling of vessel operations, substantial savings can be achieved throughout the construction phase.
The partnership between Shoreline Wind and Parkwind, part of JERA Nex, the renewable energy subsidiary of JERA Co., Inc., will play a crucial role in planning for the company’s growing portfolio of offshore wind projects. With more than 1GW of operational wind assets across Europe, it has plans in place to expand its current portfolio. These plans include the 1.5-GW Sørlige Nordsjø II project in Norway (developed as a joint venture with Ingka) and the 375-MW Oriel Windfarm off the coast of Ireland.
As the offshore wind industry continues to expand, both geographically and in terms of capacity (GW), there is increasing pressure to cut costs and improve reliability at a site level. Shoreline’s technology provides Parkwind with the tools required to meet the long-term demands of a rapidly evolving industry.
“Shoreline Wind’s technology allows us to plan our projects more effectively by reducing operational costs and improving overall performance of the design and construction phase,” said Daniel Castro, WTG package engineer at Parkwind. “Parkwind’s offshore assets have grown consistently since its first project went online in 2010. We have now reached a critical point in our growth. Integrating Shoreline’s advanced Design software is an important and necessary step in scaling our operations globally while maintaining the highest standards of efficiency and sustainability.”
“We are thrilled to be supporting Parkwind with its planning strategy globally,” said Jakob Bebe, head of sales EMEA at Shoreline Wind. “By simulating design and construction phases with a full picture of necessary data, including expected weather.”
The energy transition bank NORD/LB has joined the financing of the Green Breeze 99.2-MW wind farm together with Erste Group Bank AG and BCR. The project, owned by Nala Renewables, a global renewable energy investment platform and independent power producer, is set to go live in first half of 2026 and is under construction.
NORD/LB has joined in financing for the Green Breeze wind farm in eastern Romania. (Courtesy: NORD/LB)
The Green Breeze wind farm is mainly in the municipality of Cuca in the county of Galati,in eastern Romania. The wind farm will consist of 16 V162-6.2MW Vestas turbines – expected to generate about 312 GW/h of clean, sustainable electricity annually. The electricity will be supplied to a leading multinational corporation under a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA).
“This project marks our first in Romania, underscoring our commitment to financing renewable energy projects that materially drive forward Europe’s renewable energy transition, including rapidly emerging markets,” said Florian Hock, NORD/LB’s senior director. “The Green Breeze wind farm will play a critical role in decarbonizing Romania’s economy, and we’re delighted to support Nala Renewables on this important project.”
“We are delighted to have NORD/LB joining the financing group for this project,” said Will Herlinger, Nala Renewables’ head of investment. “We look forward to working with NORD/LB on both new opportunities in the CEE region, as well as other projects across the European markets in which Nala are active.”
Under the flagship National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), Romania aims to increase its installed wind capacity to 7.6 GW by 2030. The Green Breeze wind farm will play its part in helping Romania to achieve this target.
Anemoi Marine Technologies recently completed the installation of five Rotor Sails onboard Sohar Max, the 400,000 dwt Very Large Ore Carrier (VLOC), making it the largest vessel to receive wind propulsion technology to date. Sohar Max is a first generation Valemax, built in 2012 in China’s Rongsheng shipyard.
The project showcased global collaboration between Brazilian mining giant Vale S.A., Omani shipowner Asyad, and U.K.-based rotor sail provider Anemoi.
Sohar Max with Anemoi rotor sails. (Courtesy : Anemoi Marine Technologies/Vale S.A.)
Five 35-meter tall, 5-meter diameter rotor sails were retrofitted onboard Sohar Max at the COSCO Zhoushan shipyard in China, in October 2024. In addition, Anemoi has installed its bespoke folding deployment system, which will enable sails to be folded from vertical to mitigate any impacts on the vessel’s cargo handling operations.
With the installation of the rotor sails, it is expected that Sohar Max will now be able to reduce its fuel consumption by up to 6 percent and cut carbon emissions by up to 3,000 tons annually. Sohar Max has just completed a voyage to Tubarao, during which the rotor sail test period began and testing will continue on future voyages.
“Since 2010, Vale has been operating with highly efficient ships and, in recent years, has fostered initiatives for the adoption of wind energy, which will play a central role in the decarbonization of maritime transport of iron ore,” said Vale’s Director of Shipping Rodrigo Bermelho. “This project reinforces this tradition of Vale’s shipping area of investing in innovation and stimulating the modernization of the fleet to reduce emissions, in partnership with shipowners.”
“This is an exciting landmark project for Anemoi, and wind propulsion in general, as it demonstrates the significant impact wind energy has on even the largest vessels. Installing our rotor sails on this scale is a proud moment, showcasing our award-winning technology on another ore carrier,” said Nick Contopoulos, chief production & partnerships officer of Anemoi Marine Technologies. “We are thrilled to be a part of Vale and Asyad’s ongoing sustainability plans and to support their efforts in driving decarbonization across the maritime industry. We extend our deepest thanks to all our partners who made this retrofit possible. Together, we’re advancing meaningful change and driving the industry towards a greener future.”
In October 2024, Vale announced it is also set to install Anemoi’s Rotor Sails onboard the 400,000 dwt VLOC NSU Tubarao, which is owned by NS United Kaiun Kaisha. The project, which is due for completion in September 2025, is expected to achieve significant reduction of fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
These projects with Vale are the latest in a series of ongoing installation projects Anemoi has with some of the world’s biggest shipowners and operators, which are looking to harness wind energy to increase the efficiency of their vessels by reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
Rotor Sails are being increasingly embraced by shipowners who are aiming to achieve net-zero emissions and enhance the energy performance of vessels. Rotor Sails are a compact technology that offer a large thrust force to propel ships, helping them comply with pivotal international emission reduction benchmarks such as CII and EEDI/EEXI.
What parts of a turbine are most vulnerable to unplanned maintenance and downtime due to improper oil and grease levels?
The gearbox is critical, so having the oil analyzed as scheduled will prevent the unit from becoming inoperable. A gearbox in a wind turbine is exposed to harsher load patterns that would not traditionally be seen in a factory. In a factory, gearboxes typically turn at the same rate and carry a standard load on them. In reality, wind-turbine gearboxes are subjected to randomly changing wind speeds, which can create additional torque on the gears, thereby creating more load on the gears. Conditions from the environment also affect the oil in the gearbox, especially with large temperature changes. The viscosity of the oil will change, which will affect the operation of the gearbox and accelerate the degradation of the oil.
The second most critical component is the pitch system, so routine grease analysis is critical as well. Wind turbines must constantly adjust the pitch to get the most energy. When you see a wind turbine stuck inoperable and obviously pointed in the wrong direction, chances are this is due to a lack of proper testing and maintenance, particularly grease analysis.
What is trend-based oil and grease analysis?
By doing routine testing on a regular basis and on a set schedule, you will naturally see how the analysis is trending and changing over time. One of the challenges of operating an oil analysis program is being diligent with the schedule. When there are gaps in sampling, certain assumptions must be made as to whether the results are truly a trend or an anomaly.
If one of the parameters being monitored has increased significantly from the last sample, then one must ask: Is the asset in threat of failure, or is the result in line with what is expected? Reporting on sample schedule adherence is very beneficial and should be a part of your sampling program.
How can trend-based analysis help minimize equipment downtime, enable more efficient maintenance activities, and protect warranty claims?
Insight at a molecular level of your grease or oil is important so that you do the proper maintenance and prevent a catastrophic event to the asset.
Access to the unit is not easy, so you want to minimize trips up to the unit. So, having good data from your last sampling will prepare the engineer with the next maintenance needs.
How is an oil analysis performed on a turbine?
They are sampled very much like any other asset that contains oil or grease. For most standard analyses done, the lab needs a four-ounce sample of the oil and two ounces of grease. It is very important to obtain a representative sample. Ideally, a sample would be taken while the system is in operation, but if it must be taken offline for sampling, then the sample should be obtained within an hour of shutdown. Since wind turbines must be taken offline for an engineer to climb up for service, sampling the best process would use a vampire pump and drop tubing.
It is not recommended to sample from the drain plug as many of the wear metals and contaminations settle at this point and would not be a representative sample. Samples are obtained up tower of the unit and sent back to the lab for analysis.
Once they arrive in the lab, they are processed and analyzed on various instruments such as an inductively couple plasma spectrometer (ICP), viscometer, Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), particle counter, total acid number titration, ferrous wear, and Karl-Fischer titration.
How does the analysis help prevent unplanned maintenance?
By properly interpreting the lab data received by a trained professional, the engineers can then make informed decisions on maintenance plans or schedule a future sample analysis. This data helps shift from a reactive mode to a preventative/predictive mode, affecting the number of unplanned outages.
What kinds of information can an oil analysis reveal?
Wear, particle contamination, additive levels, and overall lubricant condition can be revealed by oil analysis. Viscosity measured at 40oC according to ASTM D445 is one of the most important tests since viscosity has such an impact on the temperature of the gearbox. If the viscosity is too high, then the gearbox will run hotter, which will decrease the life of the lubricant. ICP according to ASTM Method D5185 will monitor the amount of additives, contaminant, and wear metals smaller than seven microns, giving insight into machine and lubricant condition. FTIR ASTM Method E2412 is used to monitor degradation products, additives, and contaminants. Total Acid Number ASTM D974 is done via titration, and results provide indications on lubricant health.
As a lubricant’s antioxidants are consumed, acids are not neutralized, causing increased acidity, which is detrimental to fluid health and ultimately affects internal components within the asset. Particle Count ISO Method 4406, which uses the pore block method and indicates how much contamination is in the oil and what particle size are the contaminants. If particulate levels are not monitored and left to increase, it can lead to accelerated machine wear. Ferrous wear measures larger particles of iron wear in the sample, which would not have been seen via the ICP analysis due to its larger size. Karl-Fischer titration ASTM Method D6304 is a titration that quantifies the amount of water that is present in the sample.
Karl-Fischer would be used only if a Crackle Test were positive, which only indicates that water is present, which is only a qualitative measurement.
How often should an oil analysis be performed?
Traditionally, when looking at assets for how often to sample, we look at three questions. 1) Is the asset critical to operation? 2) How often does it run? and 3) Do you have spare? Wind turbines are different because of access difficulty, and in essence, all assets are critical to operation. Industry standards suggest sampling at least once per year but no more than twice a year unless there is an issue with the unit. Again, with the limited opportunities to pull the turbine samples, it is imperative representative samples be taken. Additionally, it is important the technicians are properly trained in sampling best practices.
Once an analysis report is prepared, what are the next steps for maximum turbine efficiency?
Traditional maintenance of the unit and adjusting any red flags received from the lab analysis according to OEM recommendations are the next logical steps. Engineers should be trained in interpreting the results of the oil analysis reports so that action can be taken. Training classes that would prepare technicians for certifications by STLE or ICML are readily available and should be used.
With all the moving parts — both literal and metaphorical — involved with the development of a wind-energy project, it sometimes becomes a serious challenge on just where to start in order to turn a dream into power.
To that end, the minds behind Triumphus use their multi-tiered expertise to assist in calming the noise of a renewables project and bringing all the parts into focus.
There are two sides to bringing a wind farm into operation from an IT and compliance perspective: The operational network and the corporate network. (Courtesy: Shutterstock)
“Mergers and acquisitions are how we started, and then we got involved with Horizon Wind Energy in the very early stages here in Houston,” said Dave Hopson, founder and managing partner with Triumphus. “We figured out that nobody really knew how to do wind or solar farms because they’re so far from everything, and it became our niche. That’s what we do is renewables, and we do that because we have contacts and capabilities that the bigger firms don’t have and the smaller firms don’t know.”
The two sides of a project
According to Hopson, there are two sides to bringing a wind farm into operation from an IT and compliance perspective: The operational network and the corporate network. These networks are sometimes called the OT or process control network and the corporate or business LAN.
“Let’s start with operational: Substations that are 200 miles outside of Abilene are a problem,” he said. “There’s no cable; there’s no fiber; there’s not even a road. We have to figure it out. We use a lot of satellite and a lot of WiMAX to get the lay-down yard figured out to do the substation in such a way that you’re NERC compliant, but yet you don’t spend a fortune. That’s not very easy to do unless you’ve done them repeatedly.”
Offshore is starting to take hold, and people are starting to accept it, according to Triumphus’ Dave Hopson. (Courtesy: Shutterstock)
Over the years, Triumphus has managed the start of 100 substations and 12 remote control centers that all have to be NERC (North American Electric Reliability) compliant on one level or another, according to Hopson.
“We can come in and our specialty is to do that because wind farms and solar farms — renewables in general — don’t have a large budget,” he said. “They don’t ever even think about technology. Some of the newer companies are thinking about it, but they’re usually a startup or somewhere low on the totem pole of revenue. The question is: How do we do this in stages so that we’re scalable later, and we’re compliant, but we’re not busting the budget? That’s what we bring. That’s really what we bring on the operational side.”
The corporate side of the equation can be even more of a challenge, according to Hopson.
“They’re probably on QuickBooks; they may have SharePoint, but there are no rules; they probably have Microsoft Teams, but again, there are no rules,” he said. “So, we help them bring everything together with all the policies and procedures to make NERC happy. We can bring all that in pretty much turnkey because we’ve done it 20-plus times.”
Helping customers
Many times, Triumphus can offer assistance before a company even becomes a client, according to Hopson.
“It’s become a niche for us where we can help those guys,” he said. “We have quite a few customers now that are 10- to 12-people strong because we’ve got to help them get there before they can become clients. That’s what we bring to the table because we’ve done it so many times that we don’t need to do an assessment; we already know what’s wrong. We can just come in and fix it.”
Hopson’s confidence is evident in how he does business with his clients in order to be successful.
Methods of transporting wind-turbine components have evolved over the years. (Courtesy: Shutterstock)
“My company has no employees, including me,” he said. “We work, and we get paid when we work, and we don’t get paid when we don’t work. If we can’t take a client to where they want to be, and it’s not a win-win, we will help them find the right consultant or internal staff, because it may not always be us. And that’s OK. It may not always be a fit. If we walk in and do a free assessment — which we do, all of our assessments are free — and if we’re not the right group, we’ll try to help you find the right group. We probably know them anyway.”
But Triumphus’ success record with its clients speaks for itself, as Hopson uses Horizon Wind Energy as an example.
“We have networks there that have been up for over 10 years with no hack and no unscheduled downtime,” he said. “There’s nothing more important to a wind or a solar farm than remote control. If somebody — like ERCOT — comes in and tells you to curtail, and then you can’t, then that means somebody’s got to go flying down a dirt road in a pickup truck trying to curtail. Network resiliency is one thing we bring at a cost-effective rate.”
Seeing the big picture
Another important aspect of what Triumphus can bring to the table is having the ability to design a project’s architecture while keeping possible growth in full view, according to Hopson.
“I’m pretty sure I can show you how to do procurement — both on the construction side and on the technology side — such that it pays the bill,” he said. “We call that the 180 shift — when you stop acting like a startup. If you get half a billion dollars from a venture capital firm, stop acting like a startup. You’re not. You’re a half-billion-dollar firm. Let’s act like it. Let’s force the pricing like it. We are really good at doing that as well so that our projects to get you from in control to in compliance are really cash neutral.”
AI is redefining what a turbine looks like. (Courtesy: Shutterstock)
Triumphus’ experience and intuitiveness have really been key to the company’s success, which are important tools to yield in an industry that has seen constant change over the years, according to Hopson.
“This industry is so fun,” he said. “Initially, you had 18-wheelers heading to Abilene, dragging blades and stands. Now, you see freight trains coming out of Houston and just car after car after car. Beautiful. What we bring as a company is how to connect them to each other and to the corporate office or the control center.” Hopson said he is proud of Triumphus’ work for the wind and renewables sector.
“We have one network with 27 wind farms that has never been down except for planned outages and has never been breached from a cyber security attack,” he said. “We’re going on 18 years now.”
After the project is operational
According to Hopson, Triumphus’ main goal when setting up a renewables project is, that once it’s operating, the company will move on.
“We’re good at it, and we work ourselves out of a job — that’s our goal,” he said. “When we’re done, you shouldn’t need us unless you add more wind farms. It should run itself. It should self-report any issues it might have. I — and all four partners —pride ourselves on when we walk away, we’re done. You don’t need another consulting firm. We’ve trained your small staff to manage it, and you can call us if you’ve got an issue, but if you don’t have an issue, you don’t need to call.”
Hopson also pointed out that Triumphus has been instrumental as control centers have become more outsourced. He said he expects more businesses to have direct access to renewable energy.
“What you’re going to see are projects like those two new data centers in Virginia where they put up a wind farm right outside the data center that was specifically built to feed the data center, not the grid,” he said. “It’s called ‘built-for-purpose’ renewables. That’s the next step. But now you’ve got to build a control center inside the data center, not to do the curtailments, but to shut them down when they need to, to fire them up when they need to, watch for your preventive maintenance, watch for your wind speeds, and your blade turbine angles. And that’s what we’re seeing as the newest level of work.”
Eye on the future
As offshore projects in the U.S. continue to ramp up, Hopson said he expects Triumphus’ plate to be quite full in the coming years.
“Offshore is really starting to take hold, and people are starting to accept it,” he said. “We have a couple of clients that are doing that. Of course, they’ve had setbacks in the last few years. I don’t think that will go away, even with the current administration, I think offshore wind is one direction. And those companies that support it — the floaters, the development, the construction of that — is going to grow. The connectivity is crucial, so your cable-layers and those guys will grow.”
But Hopson really sees sector growth as AI becomes a more welcome player within the renewables market.
“AI is really redefining what a turbine looks like and how you can make one that’s more efficient,” he said.
“How AI is going to touch this world is amazing and it is going to make a big impact on the planning and the placement of turbines and projecting whether it’ll be a profitable wind farm. Given all the gigantic amounts of data that’s out there, AI should make a huge difference in profitable renewables.”
Onshore wind has more than 70,800 units in the United States. Unfortunately, onshore wind is not strong enough, nor does it blow often enough, to meet our growing clean-energy needs. Offshore wind is stronger and more consistent, yet there are only seven offshore wind-turbine generators operating. A new process that starts with the signing of a wind-farm lease and ends with the cost-effective production of green energy can be achieved in three steps:
Remove the extremely expensive and heavy steel used in turbine towers, floating platforms, and monopiles.
Replace the steel with a high strength, durable, weldable, noncorrosive concrete material. This use of this new concrete material (NCM) will result in substantial cost reductions during component production and assembly all while being 100 percent carbon neutral
Accelerate all aspects of the permitting, production, and installation to a one-year timeline by developing a leasable harbor wind seaport (HWS) infrastructure.
U.S. offshore wind stakeholders, working with the federal government, must follow the precedent of other countries and prioritize the acceleration of the permitting process. (Courtesy: Shutterstock)
Permitting, production, and installation
Wind industry stakeholders need to reevaluate their processes and become open to a new permitting, production, and installation (PPI) plan for future 10-20 MW DD WTG offshore wind projects. The plan includes a 24/7 work environment as part of a new harbor wind seaport (HWS) work campus. Funding the new HWS leaseholds could easily be handled by the harbor or their investment group.
U.S. offshore wind stakeholders, working with the federal government, must follow the precedent of other countries and prioritize the acceleration of the permitting process. In Europe and China, the commercialization of wind has reduced the permit process from seven years to under one year. Cost saving can be achieved by using the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act to re-coup up to 30 percent of the capital cost as a refundable tax credit.
Removing steel will decarbonize offshore wind
This article is not about removing steel from the nacelle and hub components of the WTG, but rather removing the steel in the support structures: the tower, semi-submersible floating platform (SSFP) and fixed bottom monopile (FBM). These WTG support structure components will use a new higher strength, more durable, noncorrosive, new cement material (NCM). The NCM product is carbon neutral and results in a substantially lighter material that is well over two thirds less weight and half the cost of steel. The use of NCM will result in additional cost savings due to a reduction in labor, material, and time for constructing the support structure components out of NCM rather than steel. Structures composed of NCM will have a significantly longer life span at sea with a minimum of 100 years.
New cement material reduces weight and cost
Today, 100 percent of the concrete used in fixed bottom and floating structures is made with ordinary Portland cement (OPC). The OPC (binder) is the paste that holds the concrete together. OPC has deficiencies when used in marine environments. Sodium, sulfates, and chloride compounds in sea water directly attack the calcium components of OPC, and this chemical reaction essentially rots the concrete. OPC has a negative environmental impact due to its carbon intensive production methodology.
There are only two hydraulic cement (binder) sources in the United States designed for offshore wind structural element construction, OPC and NCM. Although OPC is the most widely produced man-made material on Earth, it has no real value in a marine environment. NCM, with its high strength and durability, makes it the new offshore wind-material solution. It is the only noncorrosive weldable cement/concrete. This material was developed around a geopolymer concrete technology in France.
Its geopolymer binder contains as little as 2 percent calcium and is instead made up of inexpensive and widely available ingredients including alumina-silicates, fly ash, blast furnace granulated ground slag, zeolites, and water glass. The basic definition and chemistry of NCM is glass. The advantages of NCM are concentrated around durability and strength; NCM contains no OPC and is a dry cementitious material activated with water, rather than chemical liquids. The extremely low permeability and high strength of NCM produces a material with a life span in sea water that will be measured in a millennium rather than decades or centuries.
NCM is low cost, low weight, high strength when produced and placed correctly (standard 9,000 psi), and results in the most durable, strongest, first weldable material available in the construction industry. The NCM chemistry is unequivocally superior, producing a binder that requires no air entrainment or placement with vibrators (it’s self-consolidating) to achieve its strength. The environmental sustainability of this product is further enhanced by the fact it is 100 percent carbon natural.
Harbor wind seaport campus
The harbor wind seaport (HWS) campus will be housed within a major city’s leasable harbor ports and defined acreage. The HWS will be large enough to support all the production infrastructures for both land and water component production and assembly. A large area of close-in, offshore water is required to accommodate both the semi-submersible floating platform (SSFP)and the final WTG assembly. The typical HWS campus will have sufficient dock length to tie a minimum of three large production vessels as well as various smaller material supply barges and work boats.
Harbor wind seaport production plant and vessel
The production plants and vessels, as part of the HWS campus, are necessary to begin addressing PPI’s requirements in a serious manner. By assessing the unbelievable scale, weight, craning requirements, transport, and production needs of today’s large-scale wind turbines, it becomes clear how important it is to lower the current cost and increase total unit delivery.
To envision how these large-scale turbines fit within this plan for high productivity and deployment, it’s best to envision them as multiple segmented assemblies coming together much like the new assemblies in the automotive, aircraft, and ship building industry. The plan will need immediate long-term sourcing for parts and delivery of turbines, cranes, high-capacity rail power dollies, slip-form systems, and custom formwork. Building the components and assembling them into segment sub-assemblies, then into fully deployable turbines rely on the infrastructure and design of the HSW campus. It can be accomplished as follows:
The top-weight segment, consisting of nacelle, hub, and blades (with blade placement attachment jig), will be outsourced and shipped to the designated water area within the HWS campus. It will be housed in a partial roll back building due to the weight and lift requirements of the nacelle for final placement.
The new tower segments, consisting of three components: base, middle, and top zone, will be produced with the new cement material (NCM) at the HWS production plants.
The largest number of in-service floating platform foundations throughout the world are now semi-submersible floating platforms (SSFP). Their new down-up slip-formed column, hull and ballast components can all be produced with the new NCM.
The fixed bottom monopile (FBM) will be down-up slip-formed with NCM at the HWS, in the deep-water portion of the campus, off an ocean-going deck barge (OGDB) production vessel with a 100-yard batch plant and pedestal pump. Using its own on-board propulsion units to move it within the wind-park waters, the OGDB will serve both the FBM and SSFP production.
New down slip-formed suction anchors made of NCM will be produced at HWS off the OGDB for later placement in the wind farm.
The semi-submersible floating platforms (SSFP) will be assembled in the outer harbor water of the HWS campus. The SSFP’s slip-formed components will be built, assembled, and installed in the HWS 70 feet to the sea floor water. A 15MW-DD foundation size for the SSFP, in-plan view, will require a minimum of a one-acre triangle at approximately 300 feet per side assembled in 70 feet of sea-floor water. To achieve this large size platform, assembly will require a workable sea state within the campus waters. To assure a high percentage of these optimum sea states, a floating breakwater will be required.
All the wind-turbine generator’s sea floor platform cabling, with its many attachments and components, will be sourced and built with NCM and assembled at HWS multi-acre final deployment plant.
Additional buildings on the HWS campus will be required, such as a medical facility, warehouse for food and supplies for the entire campus, plus a maintenance building for slip-form systems and other key equipment.
Offshore wind’s first noncorrosive concrete tower
There has never been a concrete tower supporting the “top-weight” (nacelle, hub, and blades) of an offshore WTG. Top-weight designers have always insisted on designing the tower in steel and contracting out its construction.
The offshore wind industry is finally committed to focusing on a standalone concrete standardization for larger, taller, stronger towers for 20 MW DD WTG and beyond. Now, with NCM and new efficient production methods and weldable non-corrosive attachments of tower internals designed in high strength structural fiber glass components, the new concrete tower’s design will reduce a large amount of weight, achieve higher strength, while producing a minimum 100-year life cycle. (The life cycle in steel is about 20 years.)
These new tower designs should now be handled by the developer’s naval architect. They will have good input from the top-weight wind stakeholder’s representatives, NCM supplier, conical slip-form design firms, PT designers and their suppliers, and tower internals designers and their manufacturers.
Today, 100 percent of the concrete used in fixed bottom and floating structures is made with ordinary Portland cement (OPC). (Courtesy: Shutterstock)
Tower slip-form segment production
A GC’s onsite construction slip-form is entirely different than an in-plant high production slip-form, continually producing towers 24 hours a day until completion of a specific contract.
This will be the largest land-based infrastructure due to the zone segment sizes of the towers. The production requirements will always have both a vertical and a horizontal component dictated by the different types of production demands and skills.
Tower zone sections and other production entity requirements demand all three tower-zone sections (base zone, middle zone, upper zone) be slipped at the same time. This will require a sizable high-capacity raft type pad for each turbine size with both FF and FL requirements. A minimum of two pads are required to produce one full tower size. This will ensure continuous production of the vertical component as follows:
Conical slip-form systems (CSS) is the control that reduces wall thickness and tapering of the tower slip all at the same time. The start pad will receive three CSSs: one for the middle zone tower slip, the second for the base zone tower slip, and the third for the upper zone tower slip. All will be positioned side-by-side to produce one tower. Each tower hold-down will use a two-inch bolt, in double shear, held to the start pad by a half inch plate with a bent 90 with a two-inch tie down hole on either side of 18 one-foot-thick attachment units. These units also support the internals.
The key to the vertical slip-form component is the environment of the long box, a year-round high production slip-form enclosure. It is designed to be a work environment to fall between a class-one and class-two office enclosure. The enclosure is designed and built as five inter-locking modules
To start the vertical component of the slip-form, an 80-yard batch plant with an output temperature control system, tied to a pedestal delivery pump, will feed three placement hoppers above the slips. These hoppers have tremie hoses with solenoid valves, attached with Victaulic couplings to the feed hoppers for easy removal and cleaning.
With an accelerated low voltage cure rate of two inches an hour, and a little under three 24-hour work days, the crew will have topped out all three zones of the tower. Their next operation will be to extract the jack rods and fill the holes with NCM grout, allowing structural continuity. This can be accomplished in one 24-hour work day.
The two-inch cure rate, that doubled the rate of the slip, is only possible with Teflon coated form plates while using NCM, which allows low voltage to heat the mix and accelerates the cure.
The perfect slip-form is one that never stops until completed. If it does stop, restart time is critical. This is when NCM becomes invaluable because, if it has been less than 28 days, it will bond with full structural continuity to a fully cured slip-form in production both on a chemical and mechanical basis.
Assuring a 100 percent non-corrosive tower is key. The inherent corrosion inhibition is unavoidable with NCM chemistry. The glassy rheology of NCM forces it to attach chemically to steel. This non-corrosive protection allows the designers to choose a higher strength bar and reduce the cover because of NCM’s strength and durability.
Tower vertical component attachments system
This is an integrated slip-formed vertical attachment to the inside tower’s face. The component is one-foot square in plain view, its center line to the center of the tower with the unit attached to the inside face of the tower with a four-inch continuous fillet on either side. This one-foot square section travels down the entire length of the three-zone assembled tower like a concrete square “ribbon.” There are eight of these ribbon attachment units equally spaced around a 10-MW tower, 12 units on a 15MW, and 16 on a 20MW.
Tower horizontal production facility
This land-based production facility will be one of the largest structures on the HWS campus. Its foundation will be 200 feet wide by 250 feet deep. Its front elevation will support four large 60-foot clear height bifold doors. The building will be designed to complete the non-corrosive component installation of the towers internals such as platforms, safety fall and arrest systems, ladder systems, fences, elevator, power cable tray, lighting, and small portable heat pump connection and zones section end flanges tools.
The first three bays of the four-bay plant’s floor will each have high capacity, 200-foot-wide gauge, 90-pound railroad rail support for the horizontal turbine tower section bogies, all built with the rail head face flush to the slab face. Each bay will receive one of the three turbine tower zones. Each tower will be supported by two six-foot-long deep saddles attached to a boister.
This tower horizontal component is set up to balance the labor and time factors to match its vertical counter component.
Fixed bottom monopile foundation unit
A traditional fixed bottom monopile (FBM) is a large pipe-shaped item produced by rolling an extra thick steel plate into cans, which are then slid and welded together into a longer monopile. It is the preferred option for supporting turbines in shallow water. Because wind turbines are getting larger, the monopile that supports them needs to be heavier, larger, and longer. To meet today’s requirements, the diameters of these FBMs are ranging from 10 to 42 feet, lengths from 65 to 390 feet, and weights from 1,000 to 3,900 tons.
FBM, as a foundation, is basically a high-rise structure required by design to be a large non-overturning ability with sufficient stiffness. To continue to make FBMs out of steel will be expensive and inefficient and will require a larger plant with higher floor loading and larger overhead cranes to lift the FBMs onto heavier load dollies to move it out of the plant. Continuing to make FBMs out of steel is incredibly expensive, inefficient, and environmentally irresponsible.
A new fixed bottom monopile
A very large part of the cost (more than half) can be recovered by constructing the FBM with the new cement material (NCM). The non-corrosive properties of NCM eliminate the need for cathodic protection. In addition to cost savings, the atmosphere will be saved by removing two tons of carbon for every one-ton of steel not used in producing the FBM. The FBM will be slip-formed, using a new production method called down-up slip floater/driver. The use of NCM allows the slip-form to stop and restart without a cold shot, allowing a diaphragm with a centered gate valve to be installed and the slip formwork to be set down and restarted. This diaphragm serves two purposes: to form an upright ballast chamber in the top of the FMP and to add more water weight, via the gate valve, to the chamber and vibratory hammer weight, allowing a quieter hammer.
The NCM will bond to a fully cured component, both on a chemical and mechanical basis, with full structural continuity.
Wind industry stakeholders need to reevaluate their processes and become open to a new permitting, production, and installation (PPI) plan for future offshore wind projects. (Courtesy: Shutterstock)
The FBM storage, transport, and installation vessel
The ocean-going deck barge (OGDB) Jones act vessel, will be 480-feet long, 165-feet beam, with a 45-foot deep hull and a shallow bow. It will be a self-propelled with four Azimuth thruster units for propulsion and steerage, which will also play a role in the vessel’s dynamic positioning system. The OGDB will have a three-story bridge forward for housing two full 24/7 crew quarters on the first and second level — one for the Jones act crew, the other for the marine installation crew. The bridge on the third level will cantilever out, fully enclosed, to the vessel’s gunwales.
All of the FMPs, still floating vertically with their own air ballast, will be lifted vertically by the crane’s installation vessel to one of the many FMP vertical gripper structures and top of pile holder lock, positioned outside the gunwales, on either side of the vessel. In a shallow installation project, the OGDB can store up to 18 FBMs. The FBMs could and sometimes will extend below the OGDB hull bottom.
Semi-submersible floating platform production
Compared to a spar buoy, a semi-submersible floating platform (SSFP) has an increased water plane area, which provides more hydrodynamic stability and more structural stiffness to resist wave loads. There are at least five designs of SSFPs being used globally. HWS marine engineering division is two-fold: First, it removes all the steel from their designs and uses NCM lightweight, non-corrosive, weldable concrete, material at one third the weight and cost. The NCM mix design, used in the slip-form, unlike OPC, will allow low voltage to pass into the mix, accelerating the cure rate during the slip. This will allow the slip to achieve a minimum of two feet an hour rather than the traditional six to eight inches with OPC.
The SSFP components such as columns, pontoons, hull, etc., are not the problem; it is the size and weight of the platform. The platform that will support a 15 MW/DD turbine will most likely have three to six columns depending on the design and weight. The column arrangement, by design, will always be within a triangle with a buoyancy column at each of its three or six points supporting the pontoons and hull components. This 15 MW/DD triangle floating platform will be approximately 300 feet on each side, with an area of 37,173 square feet (85 percent of an acre). It will weigh approximately 2,900 tons (1,200 tons if made from NCM).
Methods to place SSFP in water are extremely large and expensive and would not fit into an HWS campus. If the HWS’ developer had plans to use an existing steel SSP design and use NCM, benefits would be substantial.
FBM and SSFP component production vessel
This vessel will support a low weight 600-ton, all-electric pedestal crane with a built-in heave compensation system for safe and accurate placement of components. This crane will be placed center deck, aft of the bridge. Aft of the crane will be a 100-yard batch plant with heater, batch testing, and sample storage lab house. The batch plant will serve three pedestal mounted placement booms.
The structural box shaped slip-form support stations of different sizes are hinged to both the port and starboard gunwale and are hinged back on deck when not in use. Most of the materials will be received on the OGDB starboard side. Most are scheduled for a two-day period every two weeks, freeing up the slip-form stations.
In a traditional slip-forming, the product being formed is moving up. Down slip-forming can be achieved by designing an end cap, or structural end plate hull structure, to support the slip weight, jacks, and load, plus a two-deck load of slip-form work assembly’s jack rods and other downward pressure components. Once it is in place, its slip will be restarted to its design depth, with no cold shot due to the NCM material.
The construction will be at deck step-off height
As the down slip-form continues to its design depth, the construction concrete work deck will always be at an elevation to allow a normal crewman to step down to the construction vessel’s work deck. This is achieved by a logarithm that controls a measured water ballast placement in the hull, while, at the same time, measuring concrete placement, rebar, and crew weight. The slip product component is always floating free in the aft well in a zero-sea state.
Semisubmersible floating platform assembly
Most of the assembly of the floating components of the SSFP will be steered into position in the platform by their three existing cranes. Since all SSFP hulls are below the ocean surface and wave action, it is easier to do the welding there, including towers and ballast tanks. The assured way of doing NCM welding is to stick to vertical and horizontal cavity welding. With slip-forming, it is easy to slip additional projected round and flat services to form cavities. These cavities, when filled with NCM, designed for structural element construction, will bond to a fully cured component both on a chemical and mechanical basis.
Prior to filling, all the components have a retrievable tie system to lock them in place. NCM can be placed in a cavity at a high depth without a tremie or a vibrator since it is self-consolidating and will not separate. When placed, the design mix for the NCM will push out the sea water. Productivity will be one platform every five 24-hour work days.
Wind turbine generator final assembly and tow out to wind park
Tower turbine hub and blade placement on the large semi-submersible floating platform (SSFP) will be achieved by a crane-type six-round-leg jack-up vessel.
The now fully assembled 15MW/DD wind turbine generators will be towed out of HWS water at a comfortable and safe rate of speed due to the shallow depth of the SSFP hull and placed at the wind farm by a HWS subcontractor. The estimated build-out and placement of each WTG in the wind energy farm is five 24-hour work days.
A huge reduction in decommissioning cost
Although the nacelle and blades will still need to be replaced every 25 years, the new generation of green materials outlined here can produce offshore WTG towers and foundation structures with a minimum lifespan of 100 years. These new structures can support four generations of wind turbines and significantly reduce decommissioning costs. The process for changing out the turbine nacelle and blade could be as little as two days per turbine.
Environmental sustainability results on fiscal responsibility
Reducing the environmental impact associated with offshore wind systems should be our paramount goal, but money is often a limiting factor.
Not only do the materials and processes discussed here significantly decrease the carbon footprint of an offshore wind farm, but an outside cost option found there would be a 32-percent reduction in the cost of materials and a 28 percent reduction in the cost of labor for construction and development.
The 100-year lifespan of the support structures will eliminate the multimillion-dollar cost.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) recently issued a Determination of Competitive Interest in two Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) in the Gulf of Mexico. The determination comes after an unsolicited request from Hecate Energy Gulf Wind LLC expressing interest in acquiring a commercial wind energy lease for WEA options C and D.
BOEM has issued Determination of Competitive Interest in two Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) in the Gulf of Mexico. (Courtesy: BOEM)
“The Gulf of Mexico remains an attractive option for offshore wind energy development,” said Gulf of Mexico Regional Director Jim Kendall. “We are excited about the future of this emerging sector in the region.”
On July 29, 2024, BOEM published a Request for Competitive Interest (RFCI) in the Federal Register seeking feedback on Hecate’s unsolicited lease request.
Invenergy GOM Offshore Wind LLC expressed interest in WEA options C and D. BOEM has deemed both Hecate and Invenergy to be legally, technically, and financially qualified to hold an OCS renewable energy lease in the Gulf of Mexico.
BOEM will move forward with the competitive lease process and proceed to hold the next offshore wind lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico in 2026. The next step in that process will be to continue to analyze the other comments received in response to the RFCI and evaluate which portions of WEA options C and D, and other potential WEA options, are best suited for sale. BOEM will release draft WEAs for public input early next year.
Interocean Marine Services, a specialist provider of marine services to the global energy industry, recently announced the appointment of Robert Dalziel as its new managing director for the Middle East and Asia Pacific.
Interocean recently announced the appointment of Robert Dalziel as its new managing director for the Middle East and Asia Pacific. (Courtesy: Interocean)
Dalziel brings to the company nearly 30 years of engineering and business development expertise within the energy sector. His technical knowledge, coupled with a proven track record in commercial strategy, will be pivotal in driving Interocean’s growth plans across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) & Asia Pacific (APAC) regions.
As the former managing director and CEO of Rigmar Group, Interocean’s recently merged sister company, Dalziel has an in-depth understanding of Interocean’soperations and strategic objectives. His leadership will reinforce the company’s commitment to delivering an integrated technology-led asset support service.
In line with its international expansion, Interocean is growing its MENA & APAC business, with plans to increase its regional presence in five new regions.
“I am absolutely delighted to be rejoining Interocean during this exciting period of growth,” Dalziel said. “After nearly 10 years, it was a fantastic opportunity to be involved in the next evolution of the business. The company’s commitment to innovation and its client-centric approach is inspiring. I look forward to working with the talented team to drive continued growth and strengthen our position internationally.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Robert to the team,” said Alex Clark, Interocean CEO. “His exceptional leadership and proven success in driving business growth will be invaluable as we enhance our market presence, and continue to deliver exceptional service to our clients across the region.”
What likely started as a routine offshore training exercise last February turned calamitous when a helicopter crashed off Norway’s west coast, claiming the life of one crew member and injuring all five others onboard. This tragedy, along with recent helicopter safety training exercises on Cape Cod where offshore wind workers practiced underwater escape techniques, cements the harsh reality in offshore wind operations: Reliable weather intelligence can mean the difference between life and death.
As the offshore wind industry continues its escalating growth — total installed offshore wind energy capacity grew to 68,258 MW in 2023 — the challenge of safely transporting crews to and from increasingly remote turbine installations and wind-farm sites faces increased urgency.
Despite the advantages helicopters unlock in the offshore wind sector (speed and versatility), flights can be quickly grounded by severe weather. (Courtesy: Shutterstock)
Enter the latest generation of helideck monitoring systems, sophisticated platforms that combine advanced meteorological and oceanographic sensors with integrated weather forecasting to dramatically enhance operational safety and efficiency.
Because the offshore environment presents unique challenges where weather conditions can change rapidly and become dangerous, accurate, real-time, location-specific weather and environmental data delivers much more than convenience and a maximized operational window — it protects lives.
Weather Challenges in the Offshore Wind Industry
Despite the advantages helicopters unlock in the offshore wind sector (speed and versatility), flights can be quickly grounded by severe weather. A recent study reviewing health and safety in the offshore wind sector revealed injury rates for offshore wind workers are four times higher than in the mature offshore oil and gas industry, so the temptation to push the limit operationally in unfavorable weather may exist.
Offshore wind farms operate in remote, often hostile environments outside traditional weather monitoring radars and forecasts. Whipping winds, harsh waves, thunderstorms, hail, fog, and low visibility can turn even a routine flight to one of those sites into a high-risk situation. Helicopter transfers, turbine installations, maintenance operations, and emergency response scenarios all face weather variability vulnerabilities, expanding the potential for delays, accidents or, worst of all, fatalities.
However, the lack of robust weather observation networks, harsh marine conditions, localized impacts, and profit pressures all contribute to a heightened demand for better environmental intelligence that facilitates proactive operational and safety planning and real-time decision-making.
Harnessing HMS Technology for Improved Safety & Flight Plans
Installing HMS systems in remote offshore locations provides real-time, site-specific weather data that not only helps with forecast accuracy but enhances safety for personnel working in an inherently dangerous environment.
Figure 1 : Vaisala Elements HMS Pre-Landing. (Courtesy: Vaisala)
Advanced HMSs integrate sensors to measure all key weather and environmental parameters so offshore decision-makers can maintain safe, efficient helideck and winching area operations no matter the weather (See Figures 1 and 2):
Real-time measurements of wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, air temperature, humidity, visibility and cloud height.
Movement monitoring for floating installations, including detailed helideck and turbine motion data.
Wave and ocean current information.
Lightning detection and thunderstorm tracking with 60-minute forecasting.
Comprehensive weather forecasts, including wave conditions, water temperatures and ocean current data.
Modern systems have advanced software that processes this data through sophisticated algorithms to generate critical safety parameters like the motion-severity index (MSI) and wind-severity index (WSI). These indices help operators make informed decisions for ensuring optimal helicopter operations on moving vessels in different weather conditions.
Figure 2 : Vaisala Elements HMS On Deck. (Courtesy: Vaisala)
One of the most significant recent advances in HMS technology is integrating lightning detection data from Vaisala’s GLD360 global lightning detection network. The Vaisala Helideck Monitoring System provides real-time thunderstorm tracking and lightning alerts, allowing operators and pilots to make proactive decisions about flight operations well before severe weather arrives.
When operating expensive equipment and transporting personnel in offshore environments, waiting on weather is inconvenient but a necessary evil to avoid accidents, expensive delays, or canceled operations. Accurate predictive data helps operators minimize weather-related disruptions while maintaining the highest safety standards.
For pilots, this level of integrated information translates to clear, actionable information delivered through user-friendly interfaces. Today’s most advanced HMS displays provide separate pre-approach, on-deck, and lightning-detection screens, along with visual aids such as helideck status repeater lights that give pilots immediate feedback about landing conditions. (See Figure 3)
Figure 3: HMS software lightning detection. (Courtesy : Vaisala)
Arguably, the most transformative aspect of modern HMS technology is its ability to share critical weather data across stakeholder networks. Secure, cloud-based platforms allow operators to access helideck status information from any device, amplifying coordination between offshore installations, helicopter operators, and onshore support teams. Sharing standardized weather intelligence across an entire operation helps optimize scheduling, reduce costly weather-related delays, and maintain consistent safety standards.
Maximizing Safety, Efficiency, and the Bottom Line Through Innovation
As offshore wind farms push into deeper waters and more challenging environments, integrating advanced monitoring and forecasting systems will bring substantial safety and efficiency benefits.
Real-time weather and metocean data minimizes risks during offshore helicopter operations, installation, and maintenance via actionable insights that prevent accidents and boost crew safety. By identifying optimal weather windows, operators can reduce downtime caused by “waiting on weather” delays, create more predictable schedules, improve resource allocation, and curtail operational costs.
Real-time weather and metocean data minimizes risks during offshore helicopter operations, installation, and maintenance via actionable insights that prevent accidents and boost crew safety. (Courtesy: Shutterstock)
Modern HMS platforms represent a critical investment in safety and operational efficiency, helping the wind-energy industry grow sustainably and responsibly. And continued advances in sensor technology, data integration, and predictive analytics will only expand their influence in shaping the future of offshore wind operations.
For the offshore wind crews that depend on accurate weather intelligence every day, that future looks considerably safer and more efficient than ever.
