COMMUNICATION HUB FOR THE WIND ENERGY INDUSTRY

Health & Safety Emergency Response

BLADE INSPECTION & Inter-Array REPAIR Cables

ISSUE 31 - MARCH 2016 | £7.50 INTRODUCTION Meet the Team

We return to our more natural format sophisticated industry. Good editorial is of features requested by our readers therefore very important to us. Therefore, rather that ‘spotlighting’ specific if you would like to use Jon as an areas of the industry. independent writer, please do not hesitate to contact him direct. MEET THE TEAM 7 Fire Awareness Please have a quick look at our ‘Meet the EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS 8 Marine Co-Ordination Team’ page – we visit numerous events Please feel free to contribute to the next edition. Sponsored by Specialist Marine throughout the year and we love meeting Your contributions are vital to our success so Consultants Ltd our readership. In this world of advanced please do not hesitate to get in touch. 9 Fall Prevention & Arrest communication technology it is just good 10 Marine Ordnance to meet up in person either at a stand or INTERACTIVE MAGAZINE IN PRINT Sponsored by Ramora UK over a coffee/drink. AND ONLINE 11 Floating Wind Turbines Many of you are now quite aware of our 12 Survey Vessels Our next event is imminent… Oceanology magazine’s interactive links. By using Sponsored by Bibby Hydromap International at Excel, London from 15th to QR Codes in the printed version and 13 Gangway & Access Systems 17th March 2016. Please make contact so direct links online we are able to assist 14 Workboats that we can diarise an appointment. our readership in finding out much more Sponsored by Tidal Transit information on products and services 15 Subsea Umbilicals & Seals – INTER-ARRAY CABLES available to the industry. Sponsored by Subsea Innovation Siem Offshore Contractors is our sponsor and therefore head our feature – they have Please try these here to see what we mean supplied a stunning image for our front cover. Click to view more info OTHER FEATURES INCLUDE… In a packed issue, we are pleased to cover the following interesting topics: = Click to view video • Health & Safety • Blade Inspection & Repair • Emergency Response FORTHCOMING FEATURES – GET • Launch & Recovery Systems INVOLVED • Seabed Surveying Please feel free to contact us if there is any • Failure: Root Cause Analysis subject area which you think may be of interest • Radar Mitigation to our readership and we will do the rest – • Due Diligence there is never any charge for genuine editorial. • Protective Coatings Wind Energy Network Issue 32 TWENTY6 (editorial deadline 15th April 2016) Jon Herbert, of Twenty6, has been working for a number of companies within the 1 Hydraulic Pumps Duncan McGilvray industry to help them tell their stories by 2 Onshore Operations & Maintenance Editor | Wind Energy Network means of good editorial over the last few Sponsored by The Met Office years several of which have appeared in 3 Life Extension of Windfarms www.windenergynetwork.co.uk this magazine over the years. 4 Supporting High Net Worth Individuals Sponsored by PJ Marks & Co Click to view more info As our decision-making 5 Substations Click to readership know, we do 6 Offshore Oil Changes view more not accept advertorials Sponsored by Peter Lonsdorfer Scan/click this link to find out how info as these do not work to get involved in the magazine in a professional and

Need help writing editorials

and press releases? 0161 356 0321 • [email protected] Professional copywriting service with wind industry experience www.twenty6.com

www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 3 WIND ENERGY NETWORK CONTENTS

CONTENTS3 Editor’s Welcome 36 Radar Mitigation 4 Cover Story 42 Blade Inspection & Repair

5 Contents 50 Modal Training - Centre of Excellence High 6 Industry Lead Article 52 Seabed Surveying 8 Industry News 58 SeaRoc Group - Principal Contractor

12 Health & Safety 60 Inter-Array Cables

20 Launch & Recovery Systems 70 Due Diligence

26 Marine Specialists - ABPmer 74 Emergency Response Selecting a cover image is never an OTHER FEATURES INCLUDE… Seaseasy exercise – trying to guess what we • Health & Safety – as well as regular 28 Failure: Root Cause Analysis 80 Events and What’s New will receive, what features become the contributions we feature a real world most prominent and of course what you experience as our Junior Reporter would enjoy seeing. takes us behind the scenes while 32 Green Port Hull - The Vision 84 Protective Coatings training for offshore work Siem Offshore Contractors supplied the cover image – it so fits with the theme • Blade Inspection & Repair – as the of working offshore and the conditions industry progresses important experienced. components are scrutinised and solutions found

• Emergency Response – when working offshore there is even more emphasis placed on procedural safety systems and preparations

Duncan McGilvray Editor | Wind Energy Network

GET IN TOUCH GREEN ENERGY PUBLISHING LTD (NORTHERN) GREEN ENERGY PUBLISHING LTD (SOUTHERN) T 01765 644224 The Oaks, Oakwood Park Business Centre, OrbisEnergy, Wilde Street, W www.windenergynetwork.co.uk Bishop Thornton, Harrogate Lowestoft, Suffolk E [email protected] North Yorkshire HG3 3BF NR32 1XH E [email protected]

Wind Energy Network magazine is happy to accept unsolicited contributions for consideration. Editorial opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Green Energy Publishing Ltd and the company does not accept responsibility for advertising content. The publishers cannot accept any responsibility for omissions or errors. The contents of this magazine are fully protected by COVER IMAGE copyright and may not be reproduced without written permission. Siem Moxie carrying offshore support units as well as transferring people and equipment during an inter-array cable installation project

4 www.windenergynetwork.co.uk www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 5 INDUSTRY LEAD ARTICLE INDUSTRY LEAD ARTICLE

“Green energy puts power in the hands SITE ECOLOGICAL AND METICULOUS PLANNING of the people – the technology allows ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH “The RSPB has been involved in over us to democratise and decentralise Ecotricity, in partnership with the RSPB, 1,500 wind farm applications, offering our ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE energy in Britain. “That’s exactly what completed three years of detailed expertise and advice to local authorities, this partnership does; it allows us to ecological and environmental research to land owners and energy companies. This work together with our customers to confirm that the location is a suitable site for ensures that local nesting activity, migratory PROTECTION OF BIRDS… make green energy where they need it a wind turbine before presenting final plans patterns and flight paths are all taken into and to share the benefits – the complete to the local Planning Authority. account when planning a new wind turbine. opposite of the old top down approach. Martin Harper added: “Last year world “I hope that our wind turbine will inspire AND WIND TURBINES “Green energy is also a strong economic leaders came together, recognising others to take action and join us in using and an environmental choice – it’s about the impact of climate change and the renewable energy to power our country.” jobs and the new industrial revolution, need to act now. We now have a global Proof, if proof were needed, that extols the myth that about building a truly sustainable agreement to hold the Earth’s average RSPB economy in Britain.” temperature to well below 2 degrees C. wind turbines are a danger to birds. Renewable energy will play an important Click to view more info RSPB ENERGY EFFICIENT PROJECTS part in this. The RSPB and Ecotricity were given HOLISTIC APPROACH PARTNERSHIP The new turbine is the latest development the go-ahead recently to build a Martin Harper, RSPB’s Director of The project is a partnership between the in a growing portfolio of RSPB projects that “Using wind energy is a proven and = Click to view video new wind turbine in green energy Conservation, said: “Climate change is the RSPB and Ecotricity, Britain’s leading green are making the charity more energy efficient reliable technology that reduces partnership single biggest threat to our planet. This is energy company, in which Ecotricity finances and greener. The RSPB has aligned its greenhouse gas emissions. But turbines about our birds and wildlife as well as our and installs the turbine that produces carbon emissions reduction ambitions must be located where they are RSPB HEADQUARTERS way of life. Around the world, and even affordable green energy for the RSPB. with the 2008 Climate Change Act, which sympathetic to our natural environment. RSPB and Ecotricity, Britain’s leading green in the UK, we can already see how these includes a legal duty for 80% reduction of energy company, have installed a wind changes are affecting wildlife, the places Ecotricity pioneered this unique approach greenhouse gas emission by 2050. turbine at the nature conservation charity’s where they live as well as damage to our fifteen years ago, and its wind turbines headquarters in Sandy, Bedfordshire. The homes and disruptions to the economy. currently power operations for Ford, To achieve this, since 2007, the RSPB 100 metre tall wind turbine will generate Michelin, Sainsbury’s and B&Q. has set out a target to reduce its carbon around two million units of green energy “It is down to everyone to play their emissions by 3% per person per year every year, equivalent to over half of the part. In the UK, we have the potential 21ST CENTURY APPROACH to 2020 as the first phase towards this electricity the RSPB uses across its 127 UK to generate a significant portion, if not Dale Vince, Ecotricity founder, said: “This ambition. Over the last few years, the locations. all, of our electricity from sustainable is a 21st century approach to making RSPB has invested in energy conservation, sources. This will take time and it will energy in Britain – it’s about working with photovoltaic (PV) roof systems, wind With this one wind turbine, Europe’s largest take investment. So I am proud to say our customers to make energy where they power, solar thermal collectors, ground nature conservation charity, in partnership the RSPB continues to back words with live and work, and sharing the benefits source heat pumps, biomass generators with Ecotricity, will reduce carbon actions to show we are serious about with them. and more to achieve this target. emissions by up to 800 tonnes every year. tackling the threat of climate change with our biggest single renewable energy project yet.”

6 www.windenergynetwork.co.uk www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 7 INDUSTRY NEWS INDUSTRY NEWS

PROJECT REACHES MAJOR MILESTONE REACH MEGA AT PORT OF BLYTH HEIGHTS A project to build one of the world’s IMPORTANT MILESTONE MAJOR OFFSHORE ENERGY HUB Wind turbine towers are set to reach This compares to the tallest towers of COMMON SIGHT largest pipe laying systems has IHC EB Managing Director, Paul Hardisty Port Chief Executive, Martin Lawlor also heights of up to 170m with new 150m at present. There has been a 48% K2 Management CEO Henrik Stamer says: reached a major milestone with the stated; “The J-Lay project is enormously confirmed “We are delighted to see the construction techniques and materials, increase in average hub height since 1999, “170m towers could become a common arrival of the main tower section at important to us and we are proud to have arrival of this major structure as part of a according to wind power engineering and based on its experience in the industry sight in the near future in markets like Port of Blyth. reached this critical milestone. This is the significant project for both the Port and specialists K2 Management. Tower and its partnerships, K2 Management has the USA and Germany as part of a new first major project we will execute at the IHC EB. This demonstrates the close heights have grown steadily over insight on how to manufacture hybrid tower renewable skyline. We expect to see PROJECT DETAIL Port of Blyth. It will pave the way for other working relationship between our two the last decade as operators seek concepts up to 170m. more of these mega designs as we help The structure, designed by IHC Engineering major works that we will complete in 2016. companies and is another example of the stronger wind speeds higher up in the our clients get the most out of their wind Business, part of Royal IHC, and weighing Port’s emergence as a major offshore atmosphere. COMPARISONS projects.” almost 1,000 tonnes, has been shipped in “The establishment of our new facility is a energy hub.” According to K2 Management wind from The Netherlands. It was transferred major landmark in the development of IHC NEW TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS resource experts, a 3 MW turbine located in to IHC Engineering Businesses’ main UK and is clear evidence of our commitment IHC Engineering Business Based on work with various clients across a forest area for example, with an average manufacturing and assembly facility based to manufacturing in the North East. We are the globe, K2 Management believes new wind speed of 6 metres per second, will in Port of Blyth’s South Harbour Terminal grateful for the excellent support received Click to view more info technology developments like modular meet 13 percent more wind speed if the using specialist transport units. from the Port of Blyth team.” concrete structures mean turbine heights turbine height doubled from 70 to 140 are likely to soar to up to 170m in the metres. Annual energy yield prediction IHC Engineering Business is a major = Click to view video coming years – higher than London’s would increase by almost 30 percent supplier of engineering solutions to the ‘Gherkin’, and almost as high as the Eiffel because of less surface aerodynamic drag offshore energy sector and will complete Tower. and the viscosity of the air. Therefore, going the eventual 2,500 tonne pipe laying up to 170 metres from 70 metres will boost system at the facility in early 2017. It will energy yield prediction by 35 percent on ultimately form part of a large deep-sea average. The more complex the terrain – for offshore construction vessel. instance forests, hills, mountain, buildings – the larger the impact is in using taller turbine towers.

UNIQUE VANTAGE POINT Through its network of experts across the globe, K2 Management possesses a unique vantage point overlooking the wind industry, allowing for a view into emerging trends.

The company is able to draw on this wide breadth of experience to identify ways of making wind projects more efficient.

Stamer adds: “As a company that is at the global cutting edge of technology we are helping push the limits of the wind industry in terms of power generation efficiency, cost-effectiveness and return on investment; and these new mega wind turbine towers are a case in point.”

K2 Management

8 www.windenergynetwork.co.uk www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 9 INDUSTRY NEWS INDUSTRY NEWS

LEADING THE WAY TO COMMERCIAL ACCEPTANCE OF FLOATING LIDAR AXYS Technologies Inc. (AXYS) has “DNV GL has carried out numerous WORLDWIDE OPERATION recently completed another two independent validations of AXYS’ AXYS now operates a lease pool of successful validation campaigns for its FLiDAR systems over the past 3 years, 8 FLiDARs worldwide with 2 backup FLiDAR 6M wind assessment platform. comparing over 20 months of FLiDAR systems available on short notice. AXYS This latest achievement marks the Wind Assessment data against offshore FLiDAR systems have been designed and 9th and 10th independently reviewed met mast data from FINO1, NAREC and hardened over the past 7 years to increase offshore validations undertaken by the West of Duddon Sands," said Detlef Stein, survivability and maintain high levels of company to advance the commercial Global Head of Practice for Resource accuracy and data availability in extreme acceptance of its FLiDAR technology Measurements at DNV GL. “AXYS’ weather and sea states. Features such as for offshore wind resource assessment FLiDAR systems have consistently dual-LiDAR, triple-redundant power supply in support of project financing. provided high data availability and and communications, and redundant data accuracy under a wide range of harsh storage were all designed to continually LATEST VALIDATION CAMPAIGNS environmental conditions.” improve system reliability and to ensure the The latest validation campaigns took place success of our customers’ projects. at FINO 1 in the North Sea and at West of WIND ASSESSMENT CAMPAIGNS Duddon Sands in the Irish Sea, adding 11 Since the initial deployment of its flagship AXYS Technologies Inc. more months of validation data to AXYS’ system in 2009, the company has already impressive body of evidence for successfully completed 17 offshore wind Click to view more info commercial acceptance. Both validation assessment campaigns and now 10 campaigns achieved over 98% data offshore met mast validations covering a availability through harsh winter storm range of operational, site and met ocean = Click to view video conditions while meeting or exceeding the conditions in Europe, North America and accuracy standards established by the Asia. This represents a total of nearly 12 Carbon Trust Offshore Wind Accelerator years at sea. (OWA) Roadmap. FIRST FLIDAR SYSTEM “AXYS produced the first FLiDAR system by equipping our proven 6M met ocean NOMAD hull with a LiDAR,” said Terry Tarle, AXYS President & CEO. “AXYS has supported the operation and maintenance of a fleet of 6M MetOcean NOMAD buoys in extreme weather and sea state conditions off the coast of Canada for over 30 years, so it is no surprise to us that our FLiDAR system has proven to be so reliable for conducting wind measurement campaigns in the harshest of offshore conditions.”

10 www.windenergynetwork.co.uk www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 11 HEALTH & SAFETY FEATURE SPONSOR HOTA HOTA FEATURE SPONSOR HEALTH & SAFETY Ensuring health and safety on the Humber We introduce HOTA our sponsors for this feature, which is an extremely important subject area for the industry. On a more personal note Karen Shepherd, HOTA’s General Manager gives us a few interesting answers in our regular ‘20 Questions’.

Established in 1987 by the Industry for the Industry, HOTA is a FLEXIBLE APPROACH Quality Training Provider, offering nationally approved training Attracting over 8000 delegates per year and offering more than and tailor-made bespoke courses to meet individual and 100 training courses across a number of industry sectors including company specific training needs. Offshore, Maritime and Renewable, HOTA is renowned for its flexibility, professionalism and its industry experienced highly trained team of A Limited Company with Charity Status, all surplus funds trainers delivering courses when, where and how they are required. generated are ploughed back into enhancing its training facilities. Excellent facilities are offered to delegates including free on-site car parking, Wi-Fi, restaurants and amenities.

20 QUESTIONS WHO ARE YOU? rented offices and all training was provided WHO ARE HOTA’S CUSTOMERS? that we booked to Ireland for a few days IF MONEY WAS NOT A FACTOR WHAT WHAT CAR DO YOU DRIVE? Karen Shepherd, General Manager, HOTA by third parties including Hull College and HOTA’s customers range from individuals and due to the weather conditions we WOULD YOU BUY TOMORROW? A Renault Megane Convertible – my (Humberside Offshore Training Association Humberside Fire & Rescue Services. who are brand new to the specific never left Mersey Docks in Liverpool we call It would have to be booking a holiday husband hates it but my 82 year old mum Ltd) industry that have never been to Hull it the ‘doomed cruise’!! for all my family including my nieces loves the roof down! I was promoted to Office Manager and before let alone HOTA – for example a and nephews and the only place to go then Business Development Manager and magician going to work on a cruise ship WHAT IS YOUR DREAM HOLIDAY? would be Florida and Disneyland – having TYPICAL DAY when Linda Ellis retired I was appointed in the Caribbean to large multi-national Anywhere where it is hot and relaxing with memories is what counts. On a typical day I am in the office from 7.30 the General Manager by HOTA’s Board companies that have used HOTA since it great food, good friends and my husband and enjoying my first coffee of the day, after of Trustees and officially began the role in established in 1987. but I have just put Vietnam on my bucket WHAT TALENT WOULD YOU LIKE TO that my office can be likened to Piccadilly January 2013. list! HAVE? Circus – I can deal with anything from The variety day-to-day is definitely my I have to say singing – I think I can sing but personnel issues to writing press releases EDUCATION favourite part of the job which is apparent WHO WOULD YOU NOT LIKE TO BE? my husband doesn’t agree with me! and even completing questionnaires like I have a Higher National Certificate in through the type of training provided and Anyone famous – I like my own life and this! Business & Finance and a 2:1 Degree from also the customers we deal with. Although privacy. WHAT LAW/LEGISLATION WOULD YOU Hull University in Business Management. I I am officially HOTA’s longest serving LIKE TO SEE INTRODUCED? I wouldn’t change my job for anything, did my education the hard way, I completed employee I am still learning new things WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SMELL? It has to be drinking and driving – I don’t every day is different and I love meeting both qualifications whilst in full time which I love as it keeps me on my toes! Freshly brewed coffee and baked bread understand how you can be in charge of a and helping people – I have a great team at LOCATION employment and started them when I was in car with alcohol in your system – leave your HOTA and when you see delegates coming Hull, East Yorkshire my early 30’s. I was convinced and possibly WHAT ANNOYS YOU THE MOST? WHAT IS THE MOST BIZARRE car at home if you want to drink! back again and again it proves we are pushed to go back in to education by Linda Bad manners – especially when you open QUESTION YOU HAVE EVER BEEN doing our job right! TIME AT COMPANY Ellis, my strong minded boss who at the the door for people and they don’t say ASKED… APART FROM THIS ONE!? WHAT PROMINENT PERSON WOULD I completed 25 years in August 2015 time was the General Manager at HOTA! thank you. I have a bizarre question I like to ask people YOU LIKE TO MEET? HOTA – ‘If you were on death row what would Prince Harry – think he would have some FAMILY STATUS FIRST JOB WHAT WAS YOUR BEST HOLIDAY? your last meal be’ it’s a great ice breaker fantastic stories to tell and I admire all the Click to view more info Married no children Whilst at school I worked holidays and I love all my holidays whether it’s a city and certainly gets people talking. brilliant work he does for people! weekends at Burgess’s, which was a break or cruising around the Caribbean but CAREER OVERVIEW famous family owned ice cream company I will say my honeymoon to Cape Verde WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE RECORD/ WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING AT = Click to view video I started at HOTA as a Course Administrator in Beverley. When I left school I took a pay was probably my favourite! CD/ARTIST/MUSIC? PRESENT? at the age of 20 years, at that time there were cut to start full time work on a YTS with the I don’t really have a favourite record or artist I don’t have a lot of time to read – but I love only 3 other members of permanent staff. House of Fraser Group. WHAT WAS YOUR WORST HOLIDAY? I love all types of music but at present it to read on holiday I’ve already got a couple HOTA was located in Hull City Centre in small I haven’t really got a worst holiday but would be Rod Stewart and Adele - but I do lined up including Gone Girl for my holiday probably the funniest one would be a cruise have a 5 worst songs list! in June.

12 www.windenergynetwork.co.uk www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 13 HEALTH & SAFETY FEATURE SPONSOR HOTA HOTA FEATURE SPONSOR HEALTH & SAFETY

EUROPEAN recent examples of catastrophic failure “An often overlooked area when it comes THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFETY WEAR where bollards parted from their fixings to the safe mooring of vessels in ports, PARLIAMENT IS hurling 200 and 80 mtrs respectively. shipyards and harbours is testing the safe Thankfully financial cost was the only effect. working load (SWL) of bollards. With the MATCHING CLOTHING AND WORK ASKED… HOW size of vessels ever-increasing, the time has come to focus and raise the issues Mascot offers hi-viz clothing for anyone who places high demands on their safety STANDARDS SAFE ARE YOUR that have been experienced with bollard wear. It combines high safety, smart design, super freedom of movement and all EN ISO 20471 is an international standard failure, as well as the challenges faced in of the functions that you really need. The range offers both workwear and winter that requires visible workwear for BOLLARDS? testing the SWL of bollards. clothing, in six different two-tone combinations. Choose between combinations employees in high-risk areas. Using the What do the UK, Netherlands, Spain, in all of the fluorescent colours: red, yellow or orange. right safety workwear is important, this also Greece, Portugal, Italy and Sweden INCREASED FAILURES applies to safety footwear. Reduce the risk have in common? Answer, they are all “Industry experts report that incidents of WIDE CHOICE OF SIZES BEST SAFETY ON THE MARKET of accidents by choosing footwear with in the EU. bollard failures are increasing worldwide, All employees will fit into the new range, Mascot products live up to the highest non-slip soles. with the increased risk to human life and whatever their height and build because it safety standards on the market, approved What do Nigeria, India, Mexico, Brazil, safety as well as damage to infrastructure comes with three different leg lengths as according the newest standard, EN ISO FOOTWEAR Australia, New Zealand, UAE, Egypt have and other vessels. As a result some standard and in up to 17 different waists 20471. More reflective areas than specified The company’s shoes have soles that in common? Answer, they not in the EU. governments are considering mandatory per leg length. by the standard have been provided, in have passed all tests for slip resistance and Why is there an absence of health and testing rules on mooring bollards in situ. However, all the above countries have in safety legislation ensuring bollard safe common, individuals who have directly working loads? QUESTIONS TO ANSWER expressed concern over the safe working “Does the Commission intend to make the loads of quayside bollards and how to test RAISING THE DEBATE – ENSURING testing of bollards mandatory? them. SAFETY BY JUDE KIRTON-DARLING MEP “Is the Commission aware of incidents in There are the obvious concerns of bollards “Ensuring safety in European ports and this field in European ports and harbours?” being fit for purpose when mooring vessels harbours is a key concern of the EU. and making them secure. Tyne & Wear Marine “As ships get larger, weather patterns and BUT… wind speeds become less predictable Imagine working in your office when a and new strong and light-weight materials ED’S NOTE missile hits the side of your building, or are developed to moor vessels, new We will endeavour to keep everyone sitting in your car when the back window hazards are emerging in relation to the informed as the issue progresses. shatters with explosive force; these are integrity of bollards.

EXTREMELY WEAR RESISTANT order to increase visibility. have reached the highest standard in the The company’s workwear meets the market, SRC. At the same time, the soles highest requirements in comfort and Today, in more and more industries there are highly durable and equipped with great durability. The smart combination of is a need for safety workwear at work. In ladder grip. In addition to safety factors, in materials in the trousers, shorts and bib & particular, this applies to industries where the footwear, high comfort is also important brace are primarily placed allowing for the a large part of the work takes place near so that you feel comfortable in your shoes cotton to be next to the skin for the sake traffic, cranes and other motorised vehicles, throughout the working day. of comfort and polyester on the outside to as well as work that takes place in the dark. provide durability. And it is a good investment. Mascot Workwear

In addition, there are several places where Certified safety workwear keeps employees Click to view more info CORDURA reinforcements are used on safe while they concentrate on work. The exposed locations, such as pockets, knees employees will be visible at night, during and ankles. The material is seven times the day and from all angles, including from stronger than cotton, thereby ensuring the rear where it is impossible for them to extra-long life for the product. The seams see. With the right safety workwear, neither are also reinforced and the trousers, shorts reflectors nor fluorescent material will be and bib & braces have triple stitched seams hidden by blind angles. in several places to strengthen the garment.

14 www.windenergynetwork.co.uk www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 15 HEALTH & SAFETY FEATURE SPONSOR HOTA HOTA FEATURE SPONSOR HEALTH & SAFETY

“Our employees are telling us that the system is easy to ENSURING SAFETY FOR REMOTE CREW use and we are delighted that we are delivering on our ongoing commitment to constantly ensure that our people are safe while at IS SIMPLY GOOD BUSINESS work while they provide vital services Companies operating in all sectors realise that retaining the A satellite-based communications solution offers the only viable to our customers.” most expert, knowledgeable staff is simply good business. communications lifeline. Experienced team members often perform duties more JUST GOOD efficiently than junior staff and typically have more know- GPS MESSENGER BUSINESS how to draw upon when faced with challenging situations. SPOT Gen3 from Globalstar is a rugged, pocket-sized, affordable In light of the personal GPS messenger that helps users stay connected via hazardous tasks The diversity of activities that workers need to carry out in this satellite even where there is poor or no mobile phone signal. If which many working industry is wide-ranging. It includes engineers to ecologists, a worker needs help urgently, with the single press of a button, professionals in the installation crews to construction workers and of course first responders are alerted, the worker’s GPS co-ordinates are wind energy sector maintenance personnel and operators who work on wind farms transmitted and a rescue operation is initiated. carry out, often alone, on a regular basis. These activities typically take place in far- there is a clear need flung, sparsely populated areas often with limited or non-existent INCREASING INTEREST to provide lifeline terrestrial or GSM mobile communications. The company has seen increasing interest from businesses to communications better help them fulfill their duty of care obligations to lone workers, that improve their ESSENTIAL OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENT including Northumbrian Water Group. The regional water provider safety. It’s just good Gavan Murphy, Director of Marketing EMEA at satellite technology has deployed over 300 SPOT Gen3 devices to enhance the safety business. pioneer Globalstar says: “Improving working conditions and of 1,500 employees who carry out checks on reservoirs in remote welfare for remote crews, in particular those working in areas. Globalstar potentially hazardous environments, has moved up the agenda to become an essential operational requirement.” POSITIVE FEEDBACK Northumbrian Water HealthSafety and Environment Consultant To add to the safety imperative, emergency rescues offshore Team Leader Diane Somerville commented: “Ensuring the safety can require specialist support such as an air ambulance. All told, and well-being of our staff is an extremely high priority for remote crew require a communications system they can trust, rain Northumbrian Water Group and it helps us attract and retain or shine, 24/7, to guarantee an always-on link with colleagues. skilled employees. Feedback from staff on the new solution and SPOT has already been overwhelmingly positive.

16 www.windenergynetwork.co.uk www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 17 HEALTH & SAFETY FEATURE SPONSOR HOTA HOTA FEATURE SPONSOR HEALTH & SAFETY REAL LIFE RISK MANAGEMENT JAD Financial Solutions provide non-executive solutions OFFSHORE WINDFARM COMMERCIAL to a portfolio of clients across the Humber Region. RISKS On an offshore windfarm commercial risks EXPERIENCES include unplanned downtime. Managing that In a previous article the company briefly mentioned the benefits of Boards having a Risk risk involves deciding between the benefits We have been featuring the NOTABLE POINTS OF Register in the context of presenting to a potential customer’s due diligence team that major of Preventive Condition-Based Maintenance, Humberside Offshore training INTEREST threats to the continuity of business had been identified and their likelihood of happening or adopting a Reactive Approach to Association (HOTA) and their important We covered a lot of assessed and assuaged. mechanical failures. Health & Safety offshore training for information however many years now. The opportunity there were particular presented itself for us to cover a categories which stood LIKELIHOOD real world scenario when our Junior out for me: the types Reporter, Joe Hancher required of life boats and rafts 1 2 3 4 5 such training before he sped off on and their contents. SEVERITY a worldwide business adventure. We Also personal survival RARE UNLIKELY POSSIBLE LIKELY ALMOST CERTAIN introduce Joe Hancher who takes up equipment. For a young the story… man who has never 1 worked offshore I found Joe Hancher VERY LOW VERY LOW VERY LOW LOW LOW NEGLIGIBLE (Green -1) (Green -2) (Green -3) (Yellow -4) (Yellow -5) WELCOME… AND FORM FILLING this theoretical exercise Junior Reporter On arrival at HOTA at (8.15am prompt) gave me lots of valuable for the on a personal survival techniques information I knew very 2 VERY LOW LOW LOW MODERATE MODERATE one day course, I was greeted by a very little about. MINOR (Green -2) (Yellow -4) (Yellow -6) (Amber -8) (Amber -10) professional and welcoming staff. My documentation was very important as We took a short fifteen minute break in the We then put the life vests on and they they ask a range of questions form your middle and then resumed our lecture. remained on for the duration of the practical 3 VERY LOW LOW MODERATE MODERATE HIGH age to your medical history even as far as session. A very physically demanding part MODERATE (Green -3) (Yellow -6) (Amber -9) (Amber -12) (Red -15) companies you were working for. LUNCH is backstroke in a survival suit and trying Around about mid-day the books were to flip over a rolled over life raft. However I TRAINING BEGINS pushed aside and we broke for lunch, would like to point out that the well trained 4 LOW MODERATE MODERATE HIGH HIGH At 8.45am we began our training, I was which was fantastic with wide variety of staff kept us safe at every moment of every MAJOR (Yellow -4) (Amber -8) (Amber -12) (Red -18) (Red -20) pleasantly surprised to find that the course choice from Chicken Kiev to stew in an exercise. was a mixture of theoretical and practical enormous Yorkshire pudding. Even salads exercises and both sides of the course (safe to say no one chose the salad!). DRYING OFF 5 LOW MODERATE HIGH HIGH HIGH were very interesting. Furthermore I was I guess to sum it all up the large menu Shortly after getting changed (around 3pm) CATASTROPHIC (Yellow -5) (Amber -10) (Red -15) (Red -20) (Red -25) not prepared for the size and professional slightly surprised me especially when I got we made our way over to the main building quality of their facilities. my stew and pudding as the quality was to sign our certificates; important note to phenomenal. remember this certificate lasts five years NOT A THEORETICAL EXERCISE ASSESSING SPECIFIC RISKS In this example, the probability of an FACILITIES and must be renewed after this period. Managing risk however should not be How one assesses a specific risk will equipment problem could be either Our day began with the theoretical side BACK TO WORK thought of as a theoretical exercise raised at depend upon the circumstances and type ‘Possible -3’ or ‘Likely -4’. Its severity when we were taken from the main At 1pm we went back to the classroom COMMENDATION the behest of the purchasing department. A of business. During my time as Financial could be between ‘Minor-2’ and ‘Major building where coffee is provided (FOC) in and ran over all the practical exercises we I must commend HOTA and thank them strong management team needs to be strong Director in a global duck business, a -4’. The judgement call would be whether the canteen and taken to the secondary would be doing in the session. for sharing their knowledge and time with enough to admit to itself that it cannot control recurring major risk was the arrival of bird flu controlled preventive maintenance reduced building. This was the main learning area me I would be very interested in doing every adverse event that could happen. into their breeding farms. the severity call to ‘Negligible – 1’. That call and the building consisted of a large deep The practical exercises were good fun another course and highly recommend this should be taken after an informed debate. pool and several individual classrooms. and very enjoyable; almost like an assault professional service with a great attitude MATRIX APPROACH Any outbreak immediately curtailed breeding course in water, however it does bring the towards safety… not just at sea but in their A client of the company uses a matrix stock exports for a minimum of six months. Isn’t it about time you reviewed your Risk We were seated in classroom one harsh reality of how cruel the elements can own facility. approach to assessing risks. One way of The threat to future sales is self-evident – Register before you are prompted by your where we experienced a very detailed be and how these what seem like simple populating a ‘League Table of Risks’ is to why should a Chinese farmer defer his own Non-Exec? PowerPoint presentation on what to do in exercises could save your and possibly Joe Hancher attach values to each possibility based on business requirements because we can’t different situations; for example if the ship countless other lives in a situation of danger Reporter its likelihood of occurring and its potential supply him? Jim Doyle runs aground. Our instructor was very at sea. Wind Energy Network impact on how the business performs. JAD Financial Solutions knowledgeable and had obviously worked ACTION PLAN in the industry for many years. HITTING THE WATER Click to view more info The table below shows in the top left where The action plan was a relentless focus Click to view more info We changed into our swimming gear in a the lowest analysed risk would sit [Rare x on quality and hygiene at the breeding very small changing room. My group were Negligible] and in the bottom right where farms and to support a number of income taken to the poolside where we suited up = Click to view video the highest most catastrophic risk would sit streams from other parts of the business into our survival suits and did buoyancy [Almost Certain x Catastrophic]. that would continue to generate cash should tests to make sure you could swim with no an outbreak happen. But you can never life vest. Using this table as a simple pictorial prompt control diseased birds flying to our shores. any risk in the red boxes requires an This would probably be a ‘16’ in this matrix – immediate action plan. likely and a major risk.

18 www.windenergynetwork.co.uk www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 19 LAUNCH & RECOVERY SYSTEMS FEATURE SPONSOR FEATURE SPONSOR LAUNCH & RECOVERY SYSTEMS

Subsea Innovation are a world leader in the design and supply of Launch & Recovery Systems (LARS) having their designs to assist their customers as the industry faces more challenging market supplied over 100 systems to major operators worldwide. conditions. Some examples of units based All LARS are designed, constructed and tested according upon our proven XW-90. to DNV GL Standard for Certification of Lifting Appliances No 2.22 and also Portable Offshore Units DNV 2.7-3. XS-90 The XS-90 LARS was developed by LAUNCH & Designs and constructions have evolved over 25 years Subsea Innovation to be easily road of operational experience in an ever increasing range of transported throughout the world. The unit environments including deep water and heavy weather. is a bolted construction containerised into a 40’ standard offshore spec container.

XT-90 From this experience the company This system can be fitted with an integral The XT-90 LARS was developed by the RECOVERY has built up a number of standard sliding pallet which can be used to position company to be easily road transportable LARS variants covering a variety of the ROV, TMS or tool skid in different within the USA and other areas with width requirements. Each system is field locations for maintenance. limitations. System width is reduced to 3.2 proven and examples can be found in metres. active service worldwide. Model HF-135 LARS SWL 15,000 Kg FT-90 SYSTEMS XW-90 Outreach 5m The FT-90 LARS was developed The XW-90 LARS is the standard Skidbase Dimensions 4m (W) x 6m (L) by Subsea Innovation to meet the Subsea Innovation LARS. Gross Weight 35,000 Kg requirements for light weight ROVs. Key changes are a reduced size and fixed Standard and optional features HFM-135 boom offering a lighter weight system. include - Hydraulically controlled The HFM-135 LARS retains all the swingframe, self-fleeting sheave wheel, functionality of the HF-135 but its outreach HIGH SEA STATE SOLUTIONS radio controls, lighting – strip, flood is further increased to 6.5m. It also has the The company has recently put together an and emergency, fall arrest systems, cranked upper boom offering closer launch engineering package to allow the launch hydraulic gates, snubber walkway, to the splash zone. and recovery of a free flying ROV in Hs 4.5. skidbase sliding and rotary pallets, This would offer a great reduction is costs cursor systems and overboard XX-90 associated with vessel time spent waiting platforms, integrated control room and The XX-90 LARS is designed specifically for on weather. bespoke deck skid systems. the trencher market. This system is suitable for large/heavy vehicle deployment as it The main challenge was created by not Model XW-90 LARS includes an integral recovery winch swing only the high sea state but the large SWL 15,000 Kg frame for operations using a non-lifting projected area of the vehicle giving a Outreach 4.5m umbilical. calculated DAF of 6.5. Subsea Innovation Skidbase Dimensions 4m (W) x 6m (L) designed a passive damping system into Gross Weight 27,000 Kg Model XX-90 LARS the cursor frame which effectively changes SWL 15,000 to 50,000 kg the spring rate of the system lowering the XWM-90 Outreach 5m DAF to 3 keeping the size and cost of the The XWM-90 LARS is developed from Skidbase Dimensions 6.5m (W) x 8.7m (L) system to a minimum. FACILITIES the XW-90, with similar specifications, The design, build and testing of all LARS the XWM-90 has a cranked upper All systems are supplied with a ROV Other features are heave compensation on units is conducted in house at Subsea boom offering closer launch to the umbilical termination socket and hydraulic both the main and cursor winches coupled UNRIVALLED SUPPORT Innovation’s UK headquarters. The splash zone and an increased outreach power units to operate the units can also with a system to keep things dynamically All systems delivered are supported by 40,000Sq/ft purpose built facility includes of 5m. be provided if required. synchronised and finally an all-electric a team of experienced engineers with a project and design offices, a number of docking box capable of being submerged complete database of both technical and meeting and training rooms. HF-135 PARTNERSHIP with the cursor and reducing the possibility construction information that is retained The HF-135 LARS was developed by Subsea Innovation are partnered with NTD of fluid spillage overboard. electronically and has been maintained The company’s workshop is serviced by Subsea Innovation to give a greater Offshore who have a long track record in since the company was established. two 25Te and two 5Te cranes and boasts outreach and to allow the boom to reach the supply of both electrical and hydraulic REFURBISHMENTS a 4m deep 72m3 floodable pit for wet a horizontal position, an advantage winches and control systems. These Subsea Innovation offer surveys and Technical support services offered include testing of products and the safe testing of for vessels with high free boards. This winches can be supplied as part of a full factory refurbishments of LARS, TMS, HPU on-site commissioning, servicing and their fully dipping LARS. positions the ROV closer to the water package. All models can be supplied for and winch systems. This service offers repairs carried out by qualified service and reduces the pendulum effect during deck layouts. life extension of asset equipment which engineers. This is complemented by a launch and recovery. is becoming increasingly popular in the comprehensive spares programme and Subsea Innovation BESPOKE ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS current market conditions. All work carried a large stock of both major and minor The company also produce bespoke out and new parts supplied come fully components. Click to view more info engineered systems for specific client warranted for additional piece of mind. requirements. The company can cater from simple transport limitations and weight = Click to view video limits to major design changes improving

20 www.windenergynetwork.co.uk www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 21 LAUNCH & RECOVERY SYSTEMS FEATURE SPONSOR FEATURE SPONSOR LAUNCH & RECOVERY SYSTEMS PUNCHING ABOVE ITS WEIGHT LAWSON ENGINEERS IS A MECHANICAL HANDLING This is by no means all, they also make hoists, lifts, davits PREFERRED BUSINESS APPROACH and small cranes, hydraulic power packs, pressure vessels, Their preferred approach is to have significant customer SPECIALIST WITH A 50-YEAR TRACK RECORD. THEIR containerised systems, process machines and over the years involvement at project definition before tailoring a back-catalogue EXPERTISE IN SPECIAL PURPOSE MACHINE DESIGN have introduced several ‘firsts’: a small British company of evolved and field-proven designs to suit those requirements, ATTRACTS CUSTOMERS FROM MANY INDUSTRIES punching above its weight. From these bespoke projects come inventing anything truly new along the way. This provides greater WITH RECENT DECADES SEEING A CONCENTRATION ‘repeat’ products. customer satisfaction than trying to second-guess a particular customer’s need or sell the same standard ‘black box’ to ON ROPE AND CABLE HANDLING – PRINCIPALLY DECK They currently serve subsea, oil & gas, oceanography and everyone. Hence most sales are technical sales. MACHINERY FOR SHIPS, RIGS OR PLATFORMS. exploration, defence, green energy and pharmaceutical sectors. LAUNCH AND RECOVERY SYSTEMS (LARS) PIONEERS From the late 1970’s they were a pioneer of LARS for ROVs (Remote Operated Vehicles) and hard-suits, and have made more than 120 Work Class ROV LARS to date. These compact systems are ‘fully integrated’ where Lawsons solve all integration issues in the design rather than the customer having to solve them when he buys a spread of different suppliers equipment. LARS are split between ‘specials’ and ‘products’, range from 1-16Te SWL (load lifted from the deck), to handle 100-8000m of cable usually 6-150mm, and all operate to Sea State 6 or higher. These products are sold world-wide.

ACCESS SYSTEMS Man-access systems for maintenance support are another area repeatedly visited both onshore and offshore, with electric, hydraulic and pneumatic drives offered. Much of this work requires a compact design to fit an existing space.

GREEN ENERGY SECTOR EXPERIENCE Other than ROV LARS, previous work for the green energy sector includes HPU and wing lift system on Marine Current Turbines SeaGen in Strangford Loch in 2006.

Alongside the new products they cover the remaining part of the full-life cycle for their products: spares, service and maintenance, with refurbishment and upgrades for older machines.

Should you have an access, umbilical, cable, hose or wire rope winch, davit or crane, Containerised LARS for ROV or hydraulic power unit requirement you could subsea tool allows shipping anywhere do worse than give this flexible company a as a CSC container. Container call. transforms into a 5m wide handling system with a 1m section holding Lawson Engineers the Hydraulic Power unit to drive the LARS.

22 www.windenergynetwork.co.uk www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 23 LAUNCH & RECOVERY SYSTEMS FEATURE SPONSOR FEATURE SPONSOR LAUNCH & RECOVERY SYSTEMS

Royal IHC has secured an order for a cutting edge power cable UK INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT plough system, destined for DeepOcean’s brand new cable The Plough system will be designed and largely built in the UK, both securing installation vessel – Maersk Connector. jobs in the North East of England and demonstrating the value of offshore wind in New SPECIFICATION UNIQUE VESSEL CAPABILITY terms of UK industrial development. The advanced equipment to be provided DeepOcean’s Maersk Connector, designed by IHC comprises a 3.3m trench depth and built by Damen, will be the only power WORKING TOGETHER power cable plough, a sea state 5 LARS cable vessel with grounding capability, IHC and DeepOcean have worked closely and tow winch. The provision of 300kW of DP2, 7 point mooring and a bespoke IHC with Energi Coast colleagues to capitalise cutting jetting and 150t pull force enables complete LARS having both tow winch render and on the extensive offshore renewable operation in the widest range of seabeds. constant tension capabilities. energy sector expertise from the region The jetting system has been designed in and North East England’s unique offering close collaboration with DeepOcean. DeepOcean’s Commercial Director, Pierre to the industry. IHC is proud to be Boyde commented “This is a key piece of working with DeepOcean on this flagship edge INNOVATION technology for our State of the Art Cable project, scheduled for sea trial off Maersk Additional innovative technologies include Vessel Maersk Connector. It enables Connector in Q4 2016. the capability for simultaneous lay and DeepOcean to offer significantly better burial operations with subsea cable power cable installation and protection Royal IHC loading. It has a 5m MBR product route, that has previously not been available in facilitating trenching of the vast majority the market. We are delighted to work with Click to view more info power of current and planned export power IHC in introducing this game changing cables. IHC’s patented rotating bellmouth technology in combination with employing provides a more product friendly cable the North East UK supply chain.” = Click to view video route, especially when the plough is being deployed through the water column. cable DeepOcean Click to view more info

= Click to view video Closer to you. plough

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24 www.windenergynetwork.co.uk www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 25 MARINE SPECIALISTS MARINE SPECIALISTS

Not just a traditional WORKING IN OFFSHORE WIND SINCE 1999 Although the brand may not be as familiar as some, ABPmer has been working in offshore wind since 1999. Their understanding of the offshore environment regularly assists Marine Consultancy marine consultants, offshore developers, regulators and contractors. Marine consultancies offer a range of marine survey and ABPmer, a wholly owned subsidiary of the UK’s largest ports consultant engineering services to a broad spectrum group (Associated British Ports), is not such a consultancy. The company has been commissioned to prepare coastal of clients in nearshore and offshore environments. process assessment chapters for EIAs; undertake habitats They employ specialists such as marine engineers, SPECIALISTS IN ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING regulations assessments for offshore renewable plans; provide master mariners and naval architects who can act as ENVIRONMENTS IN THE WORLD thresholds for design criteria and calculate weather windows independent agents for their clients as well as finding Since its beginnings over 65 years ago, as the government’s and downtime for construction planning. innovative solutions to technical problems. advisor on port development, ABPmer’s staff have specialised in understanding the marine system itself, one of the most challenging COLLABORATIVE CULTURE environments in the world. And ABPmer does not fit the typical client/consultant model. It considers itself different to large consulting Today their knowledge and experience of offshore, coastal firms. Due to its small size (50 staff) and its public sector and estuarial environments is used to inform marine policy roots, the culture is one of collaboration both internally development and licensing decisions as well as racing tactics for and externally. They seek to truly understand their clients’ elite sailors and design criteria for offshore structures. needs so that they work as an extension of the client team, tailoring their service accordingly. Working in such a way naturally leads to collective innovation – an example is their new online weather downtime calculation service that they have developed in conjunction with offshore contractors.

DEPTH NOT BREADTH The company also encourages its staff to be thought leaders in their field. This means you will work with the member of staff who has the depth of knowledge and experience to deliver the answer, and not buy the usual pyramid-shaped consultancy team where the expertise is passed to the client via bright young things.

ABPmer really is a different kind of organisation. It’s small, non-hierarchical, innovative and results-oriented. It builds strong and long relationships with its staff and clients. On average staff have worked with the firm for over a decade, its key clients for even longer.

ABPmer

Click to view more info

Click to view more info

26 www.windenergynetwork.co.uk www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 27 FAILURE: ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS FAILURE: ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS

Fatigue damage originating from the raceway edge of a Recent turbine blade bearing failures and the root cause

From lapses in INTERMEDIATE PINION – BLADE BEARING – PROBLEM BLADE BEARING – SOLUTION RCA BENEFIT manufacturing quality CAUSE A wind turbine blade bearing was taken out Design improvements were made to improve Without knowledge of the failure cause to the introduction Metallurgical analysis on cross- of service due to pitch angle asymmetry. the raceway contact, thus minimising the turbine owner would have replaced of new technologies, sections of the fractured teeth Upon disassembly, the failure was identified the edge contact stresses during ellipse failures with new bearings destined to fail. wind turbine determined that the cracks as macropitting at the edge of the bearing truncation. This was achieved by stiffening The RCA has enabled the owner to source components are still at originated at subsurface material raceway. Macropitting is a progressive the rings, adjusting pre-load and optimising aftermarket bearings with the necessary risk of costly failures. defects. Further testing identified failure mode driven by fatigue of the steel the micro-geometry of the raceway profile. design improvements. Determining the root them as oxide inclusions material. The failure costs of the installed base can be cause of the failure containing aluminium and silicon. alleviated by periodic grease sample analysis. Romax Technology can not only prevent During normal cyclic loading the BLADE BEARING – CAUSE Early detection of failures allows forecasting future liabilities inclusions act as localised stress The damage was caused by excessive for bearing replacement, thus minimising Click to view more info for equipment concentrations which cause contact stress at the edge of the raceway downtime and crane fees. manufacturers cracks to form prematurely. It was where the contact area of the rolling and reduce risk for determined that the batch of steel elements had shifted beyond the raceway operators but also used by the gear supplier didn’t edge, referred to as ‘ellipse truncation’. improve production meet the cleanliness grade. The increased stress this causes to the procedures and components reduces fatigue life, leading to industry design INTERMEDIATE PINION – early failure. standards. SOLUTION A gearbox repair specification was The following recent wind established for the suppliers of turbine failures illustrate the the refurbished gearboxes which Root Cause Analysis (RCA) defines that material cleanliness process. must meet certain standards and gear manufacturing quality control INTERMEDIATE PINION – processes must be added using FE analysis shows the high PROBLEM non-destructive testing. contact stresses at the Multiple wind turbine edge of the raceway gearboxes had catastrophic RCA BENEFITS intermediate pinion failures Gearboxes in the same batch during a similar timeframe. were identified and proactively Gear tooth fractures resulted repaired, saving them from in liberated pieces of metal Intermediate significant consequential damage. and consequential damage pinion tooth The supplier’s processes were to other components. fracture caused improved by adhering to the The gearboxes had been by a material stricter repair specification, a refurbished by an aftermarket defect good outcome for both the owner supplier other than the OEM and the supplier. and had been in service less than 3 years. ED’S NOTE Abridged version Click to please read full view more article online – link info here

28 www.windenergynetwork.co.uk www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 29 FAILURE: ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS FAILURE: ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS SOLVING Vessel PMS applications has been widely adopted for many years PROBLEMS… in the larger fleets and is now understood however by integrating a new AST maritime remote sensing and engine diagnostic system, iRAMS with a Planned Management System (PMS) now offers a solution providing the right information at the right time for a vessel BEFORE THEY operating globally.

The picture below is a snap shot of the vessel engines data taken OCCUR every 5 minutes and transmitted shore side to the iRAMS portal. The iRAMS reporting portal records and displays in near real A root cause analysis discipline in the maritime sector time the entire vessel history for later investigation for root cause can help transform a company`s engineering culture from analysis providing very advanced and detailed reports on a The iRAMS reporting portal is able to compare the performance being reactive to being proactive which has been shown to variety of factors and parameters from single reports with a single of the engines against the engine manufacturers published data. increase efficiency. parameter e.g. fuel consumption, temperature, RPM, oil pressure, In the example below, this particular vessel is operating above the boost etc. to more advanced dual parameters. manufactures published performance statistics. Marine engineering staff with this forward thinking mind set typically will have less unplanned vessel break downs and more All engine manufacturers tend to be cautious when publishing reliable operational days for their fleet. The discipline in constantly their specific engines performance data however having the ability striving to improve evermore complex vessel`s reliability and to compare with a few key strokes their claims against actual live The alerts are available shore side by way of a traffic light system efficiency are understanding beforehand, what factors can cause data or against other vessels in the fleet is clearly of value. and a logon message generated each time the PMS application is an unplanned vessel breakdown and determine what preventative accessed providing the right information at the right time for root actions are needed to be taken to avoid one before they occur. cause analysis.

INTELLIGENT VESSEL DATA An additional advanced feature to automate daily administration The key to this is providing ‘intelligent vessel data’ for engineers and reduce human error developed from client feedback is and operation managers to be able to monitor the vessel automating the daily vessel report within iRAMS. Data from the information in real time combined with historical information at vessel is pre-populated onto an iRAMS form which automatically their fingertips with predictive maintenance alerts giving an early feeds engine hours, fuel used, staff on board, any incidents indicator when a component part may be near to failing. reported through to the PMS which in turn can provide HSE statistics for KPI reporting. The challenge for all roaming technical staff is providing the More advanced dual parameters engine data is also available for detailed alerts and historic information available for inspection, example comparing fuel consumed against engine hours or engine SUMMARY where ever they might be and even on their smart phone to enable load verses boost to providing a more detailed insight leading to In summary this new development in vessel management means an investigation to the root cause trends and thus develop their identifying efficiency issues. forward thinking vessel operators and engineers have now all the own maintenance policies for planned and routine maintenance for tools for route cause analysis to develop their own maintenance improved reliability and vessel efficiency. strategies and gain even greater vessel efficiencies than ever before. PLANNED MAINTENANCE SYSTEM (PMS) One new solution that addresses this problem is a vessel PMS Sam Woodcock, Head of Technical Services in AST states with an optional predictive maintenance alerts module combined “Remote vessel monitoring and predictive maintenance with near real time remote vessel sensing intelligent remote asset The new AST iRAMS and PMS solution has been developed applications are clearly driving down costs in the offshore monitoring solution (iRAMS) which offers information to enable the specifically for the maritime market and can become an integral industry. operator to ‘solve problems before they occur’. part of a vessels SEEMP strategy, reducing emissions and meeting compliance regulations. “The pace of development with our new range of sensors and When operating vessels offshore at maximum efficiency with a detailed reporting analysis means vessel operators today with small crew, getting the right information at the right time to be able Remote vessel management offers reduced down time for small crews, have far more intelligent tools to manage their to identify a potential failure before it arises has been the traditional unplanned engine maintenance, automation of daily reports, vessels more efficiently and all remotely.” challenge for many CTV operators. reduced fuel consumption (including monitoring and influencing Skipper behaviour) and combines engine diagnostics and AST Marine Sciences automated vessel efficiency reporting. This wealth of vessel management information can be accessed Click to view more info pictorially or downloaded in CSV format with a useful report feature VIBRATION ANALYSIS AND ALERTING MODULE to be able to schedule them to be automatically emailed once a A new recent development within the combined PMS and iRAMS day/week/month etc. perhaps even direct to a client if required, solution is a vibration analysis and alerting module. Vibration reducing administration expenses. sensors on the vessel record data which is then transmitted remotely and automatically populate the shore side PMS application. The PMS application constantly monitors the vibration data and automatically alerts the vessel owner when the vibration data parameters are outside the preconfigured normal operating values giving an early indication of routine servicing is required on a specific component – engines, shaft etc.

30 www.windenergynetwork.co.uk www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 31 THE VISION THE VISION

The Green Port Hull vision is to establish Hull and the PLANNED INVESTMENT East Riding of Yorkshire as a world-class centre for • Siemens/ABP – £310m (joint The start of production at the blade factory investment) offshore wind turbine facility is scheduled for September 2016, with full renewable energy, creating wealth and employment • Energy Works – £200m green power production levels reached from mid-2017 for the region. plant onwards. POSITIVE PROGRESS • Biomass Handling Facility at Port of Hull Construction work on the Alexandra – £150m investment enabling transport LOCAL ECONOMY The first windfarm that will benefit from Dock site is progressing well and is on With its prime location close to the These attributes are the reason that of sustainable biomass to Drax Power The renewable energy sector will be blades produced in Hull is Dudgeon, off the schedule for a late 2016 completion. offshore wind opportunities in the Siemens, the world’s largest engineering Plant the single biggest influence on the local Norfolk coast, which will see installation of The 54-hectare site, which ABP and North Sea, established infrastructure, company, chose Hull as the location • Reality Energy Centre – a £130m economy for generations, creating 67 Siemens 6MW offshore wind turbines. their main contractor GRAHAM Lagan knowledge, expertise and the to build its offshore wind turbine blade 49MW biomass fired power plant thousands of new jobs along with a wealth With an overall capacity of 402 MW, Construction Group Joint Venture (JV) capability to handle a diverse energy manufacturing, assembly and servicing • Ron Dearing University Technical of opportunity for local people and business. Dudgeon will provide clean power to more are making ready for Siemens’ offshore mix, the region is capitalising on its facilities that will form the centrepiece of College – specialising in digital than 410,000 UK households. wind turbine blade manufacturing facility, strengths. Green Port Hull. technology and mechatronics The investment will provide a huge boost is being transformed in Hull’s biggest to the UK’s offshore wind industry and the In addition to the construction of a engineering project since the port was The Siemens investment is just the catalyst Humber region. Up to 1,000 jobs will be manufacturing facility, a new quay is being built. The enabling works undertaken for the Green Port Hull vision. As well as created directly, with additional jobs during built for the loading of part-assembled by ABP and their contractors are worth offshore wind, there are major opportunities construction and indirectly in the supply chain. turbines for shipping to offshore wind £150 million. in bio fuels, waste to energy, solar, wave farms, and part of the dock is being filled to and tidal power generation. create extra storage space. The dock infill has now been completed, with one million cubic metres of sand pumped into the dock to fill one third of the water area. Excess sand was stored to be used for the 7.5 hectare reclaim, which will become the new quayside, and this is now being pumped into position just behind the redundant timber sheds and jetties, which will be demolished in the coming weeks.

Piling of the blade factory is complete and the steelwork is now being erected. Marine piling for the new quay wall is well underway and piling for the new roll-on roll-off ramp is almost finished. CONTINUED... GREEN PORT HULL THE VISION

32 www.windenergynetwork.co.uk www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 33 THE VISION THE VISION

“One crucial factor in this is demonstrating the value of UK business. “However, we are also aware of potential ‘churn’ Renewables is a new industry for us – the skills gaps that will be left as people migrate and it’s not about subsidies – it’s about to jobs in renewables. For example, we have a UK contractor VolkerFitzpatrick is building creating real economic activity, here in thriving caravan industry in Hull, so we envisage the 40,000sq m blade factory and a Hull and across the country. So far, Green workers from this sector will be interested in large adjacent car park. VolkerFitzpatrick Port Hull has generated 800 jobs, and Key strands for local businesses are opportunities at Green Port Hull. We are looking is supported by Hull-based Neville these roles are in a region of the UK that Business Support and Advice, and at the local economy as a whole and making sure Tucker Ltd, which has been awarded needs more employment opportunities. Employment and Skills Development. our established industries are well supported.” a £12m subcontract for electrical and Supply chain opportunities are so mechanical services. Humber-based valuable and we are working closely business Clugstons has been appointed with local companies and contractors by Siemens to construct a 12,300sq to enable as much work as possible to m service and logistics facility and has remain within Hull and the East Riding. begun preparatory works. “Global interest is gathering momentum Finbarr Dowling, Hull Project Director, too, with supply chain companies keen said Siemens was committed to driving to set up here and collaborate with UK regeneration and to playing its full part suppliers. We need to push the UK in realising the economic potential of Government policy position to provide Hull and the Humber. a stable environment for investment, in the knowledge that the industry is He added: “Our facilities at Alexandra focused on cost reduction that can be Dock will be a flagship for green embedded through co-location here in energy manufacturing, reinforce the Hull. Humber as the UK’s renewables region and open up a wealth of “Our objective is to secure as much opportunity for local people and investment into the city as possible and businesses. help our businesses capitalise on this opportunity.” “Siemens is not the answer to all Hull’s challenges, but we can play GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES ON A an important part in addressing LOCAL LEVEL them. Our bold move to invest in While internationalisation is great for the Dawn Hall, project manager for the Mark Jones added: “Green Port is a broad the UK offshore wind industry by UK wind supply chain in terms of inward Business Support strand, is already strategy to capture the opportunity from the creating these facilities in Hull can be investment, the team at Green Port Hull is seeing local companies make the most renewable sector. The Siemens investment and a major catalyst for regeneration. It committed to keeping as many supply chain of supply chain opportunities. She said: the partnership with ABP is an example of close can stimulate other investments and opportunities within the region. “We’ve already supported over 150 working for mutual benefit, both to industry and positive developments.” local businesses through advice and the community. We have worked extremely To ensure this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity funding. One company in our region that closely with Siemens who themselves have A BOOST TO THE UK SUPPLY CHAIN becomes a reality, Hull City Council and has benefitted is Boston Energy, which committed considerable resources to ensure As the UK’s largest investment in East Riding of Yorkshire Council, along provides recruitment services to the that everything goes well for the area and to offshore wind, Green Port Hull is with partner organisations, devised the energy sector. Since securing funding to ensure, where possible, local employment and not just valuable to the people and Green Port Growth Programme. With an invest in equipment and specialist training supply chain benefits are reached. businesses of Hull and the East Riding. investment of £25.7m, the programme, for staff, the firm has strengthened its It is an asset to the UK renewables which is supported by the Government’s relationship with Siemens and is hoping “We are dedicated to helping them. The Hull supply chain as a whole. Regional Growth Fund, is designed to expand into Europe by looking area has a wealth of well-established firms to capitalise on the renewable energy at a number of joint ventures and already working within the maritime sector. A “Green Port Hull is receiving a lot of opportunities. It aims to develop indigenous collaborations.” lot of their skills are transferable into the wind interest, as it’s the largest investment business growth within the sector and energy industry. We are offering them assistance in offshore wind in the UK,” said Mark secure long-term economic growth and Bob Ferraby is project manager for the with this and are finally seeing a transition for Jones, Director of Regeneration at Hull employment for the region. Employment and Skills Development strand. businesses locally. We hope to see this positive City Council, who is a key partner in the progress continue.” Green Port Hull project. THE PROGRAMME DELIVERS ACTIVITY He said: “We have a firm picture of what THROUGH SIX BUSINESS STRANDS… businesses need in terms of skills and • Employment and Skills Development around 600 people from more than 200 Green Port Hull • Site Assembly local companies have improved their • Inward Investment skills, putting some real strength in the Click to view more info • Business Support and Advice workforce and making this area more • Business Investment Grants attractive to businesses in the renewables • Research, Development and Innovation sector. (RDI)

34 www.windenergynetwork.co.uk www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 35 RADAR MITIGATION FEATURE SPONSOR FEATURE SPONSOR RADAR MITIGATION

As an example, approximately 6 gigawatts “QinetiQ has demonstrated that, using RELEASING of planned windfarms are currently blocked expertise and technology originally in France due to concerns raised by the These techniques range from propagation developed for military applications, meteorological service Météo-France and algorithms to analysis of the complex it is possible to accurately model the BLOCKED the Military. In an attempt to break the way in which a wind turbine reflects radar effect that a proposed site will have on deadlock, the French Government passed and radio signals. The company has meteorological readings. This is a big WINDFARM a law in November 2014 allowing private developed a unique method, CLOUDSiS, step in enabling France to increase its contractors to conduct independent impact for modelling the impact of wind turbines adoption of renewable energy, while assessments on its behalf. on meteorological or weather radars. offering Météo-France assurance that this DEVELOPMENTS IN progress will not harm its ability to make Typical systems studied include… If the contractor can prove the accuracy of As a company with diverse research accurate weather forecasts.” its predictions, it receives validation from facilities and specialist knowledge, QinetiQ • Primary Surveillance Radar (PSR) EUROPE If conflicts are predicted then QinetiQ’s the Government and its recommendations is therefore uniquely positioned to work SUCCESSFUL MODEL such as Air Traffic Control (ATC), Radar Impact Assessment team is can be legally recognised in the with windfarm developers to maximise the Since the successful validation of en-route and Air Defence (AD) particularly skilled in identifying those consideration of planning applications. number of consented windfarms, whilst CLOUDSiS in November 2015 QinetiQ systems QinetiQ has been helping issues and suggesting potential mitigation ensuring the accuracy and quality of radar has worked with developers planning • Secondary Surveillance Radars windfarms and radar options. Early assessment is crucial to save RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT service is unaffected. windfarms around ten Météo-France radars (SSRs) systems co-exist for many developers and stakeholders potentially ORGANISATION assessing the viability of approximately • Aviation navigation aids years using its extensive many thousands of pounds in wasted As a research and development organisation RADAR IMPACT ASSESSMENT 280MW of planned onshore wind projects. (e.g. ILS, DME, VOR and AGA VHF radio frequency modelling development costs. QinetiQ has a long history developing METHOD A key part of the success of the model communications) capabilities to show techniques for use in military radar systems The company’s radar impact assessment is the flexibility to optimise the yield of • Shipping radars PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED for the MoD. The organisation is now method is the first to achieve Météo-France projects, whilst ensuring the radar impacts • Telecommunications developers and radar Large structures such as wind turbines applying this expertise to commercial validation, having successfully modelled are acceptable. operators whether or not can cause problems for radar and application areas. The world's first stealthy interference caused by an existing windfarm. QinetiQ’s operational experts, including issues are likely to exist telecommunications systems. Typical windfarm is being built in France by EDF EN The team used its CLOUDSiS software to As well as work on weather radar the former air traffic controllers and with planned developments. problems include echoes from wind and Vestas using their technology under produce predicted data which was then Radar Impact Assessment team is weather radar experts, provide expert turbines appearing on radar displays, data licence. compared side-by-side with confirmed experienced in assessing the impacts on opinion on operational impacts and interference and signal blockage. measurements taken at two windfarms in most civil and military surveillance systems mitigation options to assist windfarm The stealth wind turbine technology is Normandy by Météo-France. in line with relevant industry guidelines (e.g. developers and aviation/weather radar Objections from radar or telecommunication optimised to reduce interference of wind Eurocontrol, OPERA, CAA CAP764, CAA stakeholders in the windfarm planning owners can block the progress of windfarm turbines with meteorological radars. The test confirmed that the software is able CAP670). process. developments and result in developers and to predict radar interference with the high stakeholders losing time and money on DEVELOPING TECHNIQUES degree of accuracy required by the French TAILORED STUDIES costly planning inquiries. Over the past two decades, the Government. Results and scenario illustrations are company has developed advanced shared in Google Earth format allowing processing techniques to model the Dr. Thierry Le Gall, Technology Exploitation stakeholders to understand the impacts influence of the environment on radar and Manager at QinetiQ, said: “France has and solutions. Every study QinetiQ telecommunication systems and assess faced a dilemma when seeking to build undertakes is tailored to the project their performance. new windfarms. New turbines cannot be specific impacts and to meet the approved until their potential impact on concerns of the customer. weather radar is fully understood, but until now there has been no satisfactory way of predicting their impact before they are built.” QinetiQ

Click to view more info

= Click to view video

36 www.windenergynetwork.co.uk www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 37 RADAR MITIGATION FEATURE SPONSOR FEATURE SPONSOR RADAR MITIGATION

READ THE SERIES OF OIL/LUBRICANT WIND TURBINE RADAR MITIGATION TECHNICAL ARTICLES For many years, radar objections RADAR BLANKING STANDALONE IN-FILL RADAR have delayed the construction of wind Still a viable option for many small wind SOLUTIONS HERE... developments throughout the UK. developments however, the availability This solution involves a standalone radar During this time, promising mitigation of radar blanks is limited due to existing sensor at the wind development to provide Click to solutions have come to the forefront turbines, existing blanks and airspace an in-fill feed to the affected radar’s display. view more but have they actually delivered? usage. Furthermore, it is still the case that It is believed that this technology has info Moreover, what solution is most likely only certain radar operators will accept mitigated existing wind developments but to remove radar based objections radar blanking. it has not has led to construction of new heading into 2016? This article schemes. provides a brief update on the current RADAR DISPLAY UPGRADES state of radar mitigation solutions. This solution dims the returns from wind PRIMARY RADAR UPGRADES & turbines on the radar display so that the REPLACEMENTS MICRO-SITING & LAYOUT appearance of clutter is reduced. Tests are This is the most expensive mitigation OPTIMISATION underway at airports around the UK however, solution, often requiring a co-op of This remains the most reliable radar it is not believed that this solution has led to developers in association with the mitigation solution that, if economically construction of new schemes to date. radar operator. This solution has been viable, is the best bet for removing a radar implemented primarily to mitigate existing objection. Sometimes a small drop in IN-FILL RADAR wind developments but it is believed that overall tip height can remove an objection, The process of ‘patching in’ the coverage testing is ongoing at UK radar locations to whilst optimising the layout can reduce the of an existing unaffected radar to the determine their full potential (for example radar’s visibility due to intervening terrain. display of an affected radar. This is a Project RM implemented by NATS). successful mitigation solution but it is only viable in certain locations in the UK where CONCLUSIONS existing radar coverage permits. The simplest solutions are still the best in the world of wind turbine radar mitigation. However, these options are not always feasible which is where technical mitigation is required. Most technical solutions are still in their infancy but further testing is RZ_150811_AnzMNicholls.indd 1 11.08.15 11:04 ongoing. WIND FARM RADAR Pager Power IMPACT ASSESSMENT Helping wind turbines and radars to co-exist

The Wind Farm RIA team uses an advanced modelling toolset to assess the impact of wind turbines on radars and telecommunication systems. From single turbines to large offshore developments, we work with all stakeholders to quantify, explain and mitigate the impacts. 01252 392 000 www.QinetiQ.com/wind-farm-impact-assessment

38 www.windenergynetwork.co.uk www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 39 FEATURE SPONSOR RADAR MITIGATION RADAR REVOLUTION The received wisdom in the aviation HOLOGRAPHIC RADAR – A NEW OFFSHORE WINDFARMS and renewables industries that radars APPROACH Extensive modelling work recently and windfarms do not mix is outdated. In 2015, Aveillant announced the installation conducted by the company for operation Cambridge based technology company of the world’s first 3D Holographic Radar over large offshore windfarms has shown Aveillant have a proven and fielded system to cover Severn Trent’s Derby wind the huge potential of the technology solution for radar operation over wind turbines close to East Midland’s Airport. in this environment. Evaluation of over turbines, which is expected to free up The system has now completed safety 500 scenarios including some of the capacity both on and offshore. approval with the Civil Aviation Authority most challenging configurations, gave a and is ready for operation. detection probability over the windfarms of UNTAPPED CAPACITY over 99% and close to 0% false tracks. In the UK there are windfarms with a Holographic Radar operates in a combined capacity of over 12GW currently fundamentally different way to conventional The perception that windfarms pose a in operation. This is enough to power three radar, giving full 3-dimensional tracks even problem to aviation radars must now million homes and provides the equivalent directly over wind turbines. Tim Quilter, change. New technology has provided a output of two nuclear power stations. Aveillant’s Product Manager, said “This solution. It is time for the turbines to start However, there is at least another 6GW of project represents a significant first for the turning. capacity held up in planning departments industry but is really only the beginning of due to objections from the civil and military how systems like this can free up capacity Aveillant aviation sector. currently bogged down in planning departments.” Click to view more info Wind turbines look a lot like aircraft to primary airport radar because they create a similar profile and signal. And because conventional = Click to view video radar systems can only detect the distance direction of a signal, not its altitude, they can only output a 2-dimensional aircraft track. In the area around the turbines planes can appear to move in the wrong direction, known as ‘track seduction’, or may not be detected at all.

A new and reliable approach to radar operation is needed if the industry is to unlock significant additional capacity

40 www.windenergynetwork.co.uk www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 41 BLADE INSPECTION & REPAIR FEATURE SPONSOR FEATURE SPONSOR BLADE INSPECTION & REPAIR

With a flash detection rate of 99 percent across Europe, detailed reports allow you to proactively assess and repair potential issues faster. And if you have questions or need more information, a professional THE meteorologist is available at any time for a personal consultation.

WEATHER FORECASTING Lightning can endanger crews and damage BOTTOM turbines, so it’s critical to understand your risk before the lightning starts to flash. most comprehensive support package on Schneider Electric has a long-standing the market for lightning solutions. From reputation as one of the most accurate and blade inspection reports, to highly accurate reliable weather forecasters in the world. WEATHER ALERTS LINE weather forecasts, to patented lightning Even with highly accurate With every turn of a blade, you’re trying to maximise the power generation and alerts, you receive powerful intelligence that Knowing when to expect severe weather weather forecasts, there will be times when profits of your windfarm – the condition of your assets, the efficiency of your helps you react faster, keep crews safer ensures better safety in the field, as well severe weather suddenly starts to develop operations and the safety of your crews all impact your bottom line. Weather and get those blades turning again. as more efficient repairs that minimise and endanger your crews. The company’s is another significant factor that can affect every area of your organisation. generation loss. For example, forecasting patented mobile alerts provide early Mitigating harmful and increasingly volatile weather conditions can help reduce BLADE INSPECTION REPORTS helps you determine optimal times for warnings and an estimated evacuation unexpected, short-term costs and long-term risks to your operations. A key component of the company’s performing routine maintenance on a calm time when severe weather threatens industry-leading intelligence is lightning day with little or no wind. You can also have an area, as well as notifications tracking technology. Operators receive a greater confidence that a storm has passed that let crews know when Blade damage as a result of DETECTION – THERE’S A BETTER WAY daily data report that includes… and more quickly dispatch crews to repair it is safe to severe weather is a familiar Traditionally, the most common and high- blades after a storm. resume work. occurrence. In fact, lightning tech way to visually determine if a wind • All lightning strikes that were close strikes are typically a leading turbine has been struck by lightning is to enough to impact a specific turbine culprit in most geographies. use your eyes – hardly a fast or efficient • The likelihood that turbines within a Lightning can be especially method! given area were struck THE BOTTOM LINE harmful because it often goes • The affected turbine’s name/ID Lightning damage is not always visible undetected initially, causing the You can’t stop lightning from damaging • Date and time of strikes or predictable and can lead to larger damage to propagate over time your turbines or blades but you can • Latitude and longitude problems if left undetected. Through and resulting in more extensive enhance the efficiency and speed with • Amplitude and polarity lightning tracking technology and blade repairs or even a full blade which you identify the problem, initiate For example, inspection reports, weather forecasts replacement. Suddenly, you’re repairs and get a turbine back on line. Moreover, all strikes are assigned a operators can and alerts, you now have powerful faced with failed equipment, Schneider Electric offers an efficient confidence level, allowing you to choose view real-time intelligence to help take your windfarm unplanned maintenance and automated and 21st century answer in the the degree of confidence that a strike lightning strike data as to a new level of automation and unscheduled equipment occurred within a certain number of metres, well as receive alerts when efficiency – and to make real impacts expenses, such as crane as well as prioritise your response. lightning is detected within a on its profitability. procurement. Costs can quickly pre-defined radius of a windfarm. reach six figures, not even By removing the guesswork and physical The alerts are location-specific, so taking into the account the lost trips to view individual turbines, crews crews that are out making repairs on large Schneider Electric power generation. now know which ones may need attention windfarms will be alerted on their mobile ahead of time and can schedule inspection device, no matter their location. When the Click to view more info and maintenance accordingly. Warranty severe weather has passed and conditions and insurance paperwork is accurate and are deemed safe, crews and operators supported with hard data. In addition, receive an all-clear alert notifying them that earlier detection and faster repairs mean they can return to the field. that blades can be fixed before the damage gets any worse – cutting overall blade repair costs and turbine downtime.

42 www.windenergynetwork.co.uk www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 43 BLADE INSPECTION & REPAIR FEATURE SPONSOR FEATURE SPONSOR BLADE INSPECTION & REPAIR

HIGHER INTERNAL RATE OF RETURN INCREASED OUTPUT THROUGH = LONGER LIFECYCLE IMPROVED MEASUREMENT Blades are the turbine component most impacted by age. Coating, lamination, aerodynamics, lightning protection systems all show increasing failures over time – trailing edge, blade shell, spar, root and lightning protection systems are the parts TECHNOLOGY that are most hit by age. CASE STUDY – FIBRE OPTIC BLADE Up until now common practice has been ICE DETECTION SYSTEM PROVEN IN to install sensors on the nacelles of the PRACTICE wind turbines, the ice build-up on which During winter, multiple international is considered indicative of ice build-up on manufacturers tested the fos4Blade ice the rotor blades. The problem is that the detection system in their wind turbines. measuring processes formerly used to The recently completed evaluation has detect ice build-up are not very accurate shown that the fibre optic system with and thus generally err on the side of rotor-integrated vibration sensors is not caution. As a result wind turbines often only more accurate than ice measurement remain inoperative for much longer than is systems installed on the wind turbine’s actually required to prevent ice throw. nacelle but also more cost-effective. CERTIFICATION KEY ADVANTAGE A field test determined a yield increase In September 2014, the world’s largest Consequently, the key advantage of of more than 100 MWh at a 3 MW wind classification company for wind turbine measuring vibrations directly at the rotor is turbine. equipment, Germanischer Lloyd (DNV the ability to automatically restart once the GL SE), certified the blade ice detection ice has melted, with no manual intervention. ICE FORMATION system from fibre optic specialists fos4X Ice formation on wind turbine rotor blades GmbH. It is also the first system of its kind An additional 119 MWh to 249 MWh were not only adversely affects aerodynamics which fulfils the IEC-61400-13 standard produced when the fibre optic blade ice but is dangerous as well. To avoid for vibration measurement on wind detection system controlled shutdown of chunks of ice breaking off and becoming turbines. In preparation for the pending the wine turbines. Based on average yields, uncontrolled projectiles, wind turbines must series integration in wind turbines, a this constitutes a 2.2 to 5 per cent annual be shut down in the event of ice build-up. comprehensive set of validation tests was increase. conducted in the winter of 2014/2015 at various turbine manufacturers. fos4X GmbH

The tests examined case of ice build-up in a range of different operating modes on 14 different types of turbines located in Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and Canada.

TURBINE DOWNTIME The total associated cost of repair per year REPAIR TIME Turbine downtime doubles over the on such failures is around 4 thousand € One of the most critical issues regards years: 2.8 days/year in the first 5 years and represents over 60% of the total blade the time needed to do the repair – for in operations, 5.3 in the last 5 years – maintenance budget. non-structural failures, eTa Blades has blades can contribute to up to 25% of the developed a UV based resin and patch downtime, particularly in the second half OTHER AREAS OF FAILURE in tailored kits, enabling a 30mins durable of the normal turbine life-cycle. Aging hits Another typical area of failure is the leading repair. blades harder than natural events and the edge: when the blade is distorted in consequences of failures are becoming transverse shear, stresses increase in the The company is taking the lead on more and more critical. leading edge area. Solutions to reduce the improving wind turbine efficiency, lower the cross-sectional shear distortion are being O&M cost and extend the life-cycle of the ASSOCIATED COSTS made available and are aimed at preventing turbines. They are developing and testing Inspections on aging turbines report cracks fatigue cracks thus reducing failures. specific repair and improvement solutions in the trailing edge panels, transverse and for all the issues stated alongside their main longitudinal, split of the trailing edge bond However, the main part of the blade business of re-blading. lines, failures of the web bond lines. The subject to failures which could be difficult to rotation of the blades causes undesired recover, leading to the need to replace the eTa Blades deformations, independently from wind – blade instead than just repairing it, is the deformations are the root cause for these fatigue in the root region, mainly due to the cracks. higher gravity induced edgewise loads.

44 www.windenergynetwork.co.uk www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 45 BLADE INSPECTION & REPAIR FEATURE SPONSOR FEATURE SPONSOR BLADE INSPECTION & REPAIR

Structural integrity is another growing area of concern, heightened by recent asset MINIMISING OPEX WITH BLADE BLADE AND STRUCTURE failures like the breaking of a turbine at the Samsø (Paludans Flak) offshore windfarm, REPAIR STRATEGIES INSPECTIONS which was caused by a welding fracture. NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT) Invisotech, an inspection services technology company based in Newcastle is Certain NDT technologies can be utilised bringing its innovative inspection solutions to the wind industry to tackle early to check the health of every inch of every identification of blade leading edge erosion and to test general structural integrity weld and in conjunction with the HD video in one asset sweep. footage can deliver valuable, usable data in relation to structural integrity and condition monitoring. Invisotech as one such provider of inspection services, in partnership with an industry leader in NDT technology have a completely wireless ROV inspection solution with on-board HD cameras and NDT probe, which can be easily and quickly deployed onsite.

Using such technology initially removes the inherent dangers of using rope access personnel and extended periods of asset downtime until they are needed to conduct repairs.

GROWING CONCERN DIVERSE REPAIR NEEDS problems before they could potentially of ambient temperature on both the cure Blade condition and performance is The repair of wind blades present a special cause greater issues. profile of the repair adhesive and the a growing concern in the industry, as set of issues due to the varied types of substrates being bonded. In general lower has been highlighted by the Offshore repairs that may be needed, the wide range Not just any adhesive will work for a drill temperatures will slow the curing process, Renewable Energy Catapult’s (OREC) of materials available and the physical & fill operation. An ideal drill & fill adhesive affect the time to complete repair and Blade Leading Edge Erosion Programme limitations that complicate repairs. For some needs to have a reliable cure mechanism affect the flow rate of the adhesive during (BLEEP), which has been working to co- repair scenarios the drill & fill technique offers independent of the presence of moisture application making it harder to inject into ordinate initiatives to reduce the adverse the best balance of composite repair and and under anaerobic conditions that exist. the repair. Higher temperatures during impact of blade erosion on wind turbine minimal impact to composite integrity. Ideally the adhesive will be thixotropic to use will speed the curing process and performance. allow injection through the small holes allow the adhesive to be injected with less Used in filling pre-existing voids or inter-layer used and flow freely through the repair pressure. Assets are being damaged by bird de-bonds that have occurred in relatively area. In addition, as drill & fill does not strikes, lightning strikes, rain, hail, ice small areas, drill & fill involves drilling small allow for cleaning of the surfaces to be PROPER USE and insects to name a few. Blade holes (as small as 3mm) through the bonded the adhesive needs to be fully In summary the proper use of drill & fill erosion and deteriorating gel coats can Visual inspections in a controlled and LESSONS LEARNED composite skin and injecting a specialised functional without surface preparation. repairs on composite blades can be significantly decrease the aerodynamic stable manner can help build a fuller asset As an industry we are clearly still in the early two-component adhesive that fills the void a useful maintenance tool in keeping efficiency of a turbine blade and cause picture and draw attention to problem days of truly understanding our wind assets and binds the composite layers together. A good drill & fill adhesive should be both the turbine operational with minimal significant performance losses, leading to a areas; monitoring degradation over time. but we can look at the lessons learned hydrophobic and immiscible to allow it downtime. As with all composite repairs, decreased lifespan and an increase in the Time spent now understanding your assets from the oil & gas sector and an increase LIMITATIONS to displace any liquid water (not ice!) that work closely with your adhesive supplier to overall running costs. can save significant time and cost later in incidents to reasonably predict that There are limitations to the usefulness may have collected in the void. understand the features and limitations of rectifying a problem, or worse, dealing with questions over asset structural integrity will of drill & fill: it is not used as a major their materials. Innovative ideas, solutions and processes a complete asset failure. dominate board room conversations in the structural repair, nor will it address UNDERSTANDING TEMPERATURE may hold the key to asset longevity and future. An inspections programme is a vital engineering design issues. Drill & fill does EFFECTS ITW Wind future O & M planning. Furthermore a visual inspection with a tool to de-risk your portfolio. however allow for a versatile up-tower Since repairs are made up-tower, it is Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) crawler repair to a common class of composite also important to understand the effect O & M STRATEGY can be achieved with very little asset Invisotech Any good O & M strategy starts with solid downtime, thus maximising your yield. inspections at its core and as such a Click to view more info Hydrography & Marine Support high-definition inch-by-inch review of your STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY HEALTH- assets is a great place to start. Knowing CHECK • Surface & Subsea Positioning • Hydrographic Survey the condition of turbine blades is essential In addition to the blade inspection a = Click to view video • Construction Support • ROV Inspection to build a long-term strategy for maximising structural integrity health-check would be the blade in-service lifespan. highly recommended too. This can be done T 44 (0)1208 77033 • www.insight-marine.com at the same time again minimising asset downtime and disruption.

46 www.windenergynetwork.co.uk www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 47 BLADE INSPECTION & REPAIR FEATURE SPONSOR FEATURE SPONSOR BLADE INSPECTION & REPAIR

CUTTING COSTS IN PRODUCTION AND MAINTENANCE IS KEY

With more than 1,300 offshore wind turbines off the UK coast and sufficient energy to power three million homes generated in the last five years, the offshore industry is fast establishing itself as a viable energy source. By 2030 there are plans that 35% of the UK electricity demand will be met by offshore wind but cutting costs in production and maintenance is key.

“The industry needs to innovate as advances in technology will help reduce the costs of offshore wind,” says Steve Ross, Managing Director – GUARANTEED REPAIR GEV Wind Power. “Time efficient and TIMES cost effective repair and maintenance The company is also able programmes will ensure the longevity to provide guaranteed of turbines and maximum return on repair times by deploying investment.” its patented wind habitat structure which mitigates LEADING EDGE EROSION MAINTENANCE PRACTICES many of the environmental restrictions Leading edge erosion is incredibly Scheduled maintenance costs are relatively causing the delays in repairing blade costly to a developer as it reduces low, however studies have shown that damage. The wind habitat is easily the turbine’s efficiency and reliability. unscheduled maintenance for baseline retrofitted to most blade access platform Blades with no protective coating can windfarms of 4-10MW turbines, constitutes solutions. show the first signs of wear within two around 65% of O&M costs. years and even the smallest scratch is “Technology solutions that optimise a weak link in productivity so should be Steve continues: “Our new fixed-price and provide cost savings are essential considered as necessary maintenance. maintenance plans provides developers with to the long-term future of the offshore the security of a scheduled maintenance renewables sector,” concludes Steve. “As “In 2015, we became the first programme, at pre-agreed costs.” the UK becomes a hub for the industry contractor to be trained by BASF the potential for UK innovators is huge. with its BASF RELEST leading edge Utilising panoblade camera systems, offers protection system,” adds Steve. further cost savings as it enables the rapid “Announcements confirming Galloper, “This two-part paint technology capture of high resolution images from an East Anglia ONE and the submission offers four times higher resistance entire turbine blade surface and shares by Scottish Power Renewables for East than conventional solutions and is these via a web-based platform. GEV Anglia THREE reinforces the commitment designed to bear extreme conditions technicians are then able to identify the of the industry’s major players. It is now to provide significantly improved blade that requires priority maintenance up to technology and O&M companies, erosion and corrosion protection, and as only one operator is required to large and small, to realise and seize the thereby offering immeasurable savings inspect the turbines, the system offers both opportunity they have been presented.” in maintenance.” exceptional savings in time and money.

“We used this cost saving technology GEV Wind Power extensively in the field during 2015 and typically achieved the inspection of over 70 offshore wind turbines in three weeks,” adds Steve. “It can inspect up to five onshore or three offshore turbines per day.”

48 www.windenergynetwork.co.uk www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 49 CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

The first simulators have just been procured and include a full suite of advanced ship, offshore vessel, engine room and radar kit from Kongsberg Maritime, the global leader in marine training SUBSTANTIAL OPPORTUNITY technology. The opportunity for maritime businesses is substantial, particularly “We’ve listened to leading companies from across the for those servicing the offshore wind energy sector. That’s why TRAINING EQUIPMENT maritime, offshore and renewables industries, and we are in Modal Training was created – to provide a centre of excellence for The equipment, which includes a detailed 360o model of the the process of developing an extensive suite of equipment the ports, energy and logistics sectors offering a comprehensive Humber, will be used to support the delivery of advanced training designed to meet their real-world training requirements range of tailored training. courses for maritime professionals and businesses. The simulators exactly. effectively replicate the working environment for a wide range of maritime roles, including bridge crews, navigators, maritime “The Humber is home to the UK’s largest multi-purpose Patrick Henry engineers and Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) operators. Each part ports complex and Modal will provide the high quality, of the simulator system can be operated independently, or be tailored training that businesses need to take advantage of Providing interconnected to provide full vessel operation exercises for an growing opportunities in the region and across the wider entire crew. sector.”

Patrick Henry, CEO of Modal Training, said: TRAINING CENTRE a high “Modal is here to provide training of the absolute highest quality Work has just started on Modal Training’s 5,696 m2 facility to maritime businesses across the Humber region and beyond, in Immingham, with the design phase of the project now in which is why we’ve invested in a full suite of advanced marine progress. simulators from Kongsberg Maritime. The centre – which is jointly funded by the Grimsby Institute standard of and the Humber LEP, as part of the Humber Growth Deal – is on schedule for completion and full operation in September simulator 2016. Modal Training training for Click to view more info offshore wind

Globally, there are over 35,000 job vacancies in the £7MILLION FACILITY maritime sector, and many of those opportunities The £7million facility will be the first in the UK to offer integrated, are here in the Humber – home to the UK’s largest, multimodal logistics training for sea, road, rail and air, as well multi-purpose ports complex. as a full range of support services. Until now businesses and their employees have had to travel to access this specialised Trade in coal, cars, food, freight, passengers and skills training. Now it’s available in the Humber, the UK’s 'energy petroleum is growing and the region is poised to expand estuary', both for existing companies and future investors. again, as it takes on a new role as the international hub for the emerging renewables energy sector. Equipped with state-of-the-art simulators, Modal Training will deliver realistic training, replicating the working environment, in a wide range of settings. Facilities will include extensive warehousing, engineering and rail safety teaching facilities, and the UK’s only Freight Forwarding Academy.

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The result is DeepOcean’s Superior ROV, which was delivered in co-operation with manufacturer Kystdesign in June 2015. The Superior ROV offers the company and SUPERIOR SUBSEA SURVEY its client’s superior acoustic and visual line inspection and seabed mapping capability, FROM CONCEPT TO COMPLETION AND BEYOND including increased speed and stability as a result of its hydrodynamic shape, speeds up to 6 knots and twice as fast as conventional survey ROVs. This in water depths to Subsea surveys provide developers INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE The formula to a cost effective survey 1000m, with improved positioning with auto and offshore contractors with vital One of the company’s many strengths is its is speed and quality. The company’s track capability and 20% increased data information to help build and maintain impressive track record in subsea survey, extensive experience in performing acoustic quality through significant improvements or cost efficient offshore windfarms and having surveyed and inspected more than and visual surveys with ROV’s, ROTV’s signal/noise ratio. subsea power networks. 70,000km of subsea product. In addition, and AUV’s highlighted that AUV’s offer its subsidiary ADUS DeepOcean has speed but sacrifice options to stop and MODE 1 – Figure 2 Surveys are performed throughout a recently undertaking the post-construction re-run sections and areas to check findings SEABED Superior ROV in Seabed Mapping project life cycle and help develop field bathymetric survey of all infield assets for immediately, whilst traditional ROV’s MAPPING mode layout, subsea cable routes, identify UXO the Greater Gabbard windfarm, including provide high quality data acquisition, but up and other seabed obstacles, support cable assessment of cable condition and scour until now are somewhat slower. When lay activities and enable subsea inspection assessment. equipped with Detailed inspection analyses are carried of infrastructure to ensure integrity and SOLUTION a dual head out at significantly higher speeds than operational longevity. DeepOcean has installed over 1000km To tackle this shortcoming, DeepOcean multibeam the traditional acoustic surveys. of subsea power cable and performed undertook several years of conceptual echo sounder, PROJECT SOLUTION PROVIDER associated lay and burial verification engineering and development to optimise side scan DeepOcean is an innovative project solution surveys. The company has recently an ROV platform with the aim of doubling sonar and sub- provider and supports subsea renewable secured contract awards to survey, install the common survey speed, whilst retaining bottom profiler, CONTINUED... and interconnector projects from concept, and protect subsea array, export and capacity to carry a suite of multibeam echo the Superior engineering, survey, installation and interconnector cables on Bligh Bank, Race sounders, side scan sonars, sub bottom ROV can map protection through to subsea inspection Bank, Walney Extension and NEMO Link. profilers, UHD camera’s, laser profilers, a the seabed and maintenance. conductivity probe stabber arm as well as a at speeds TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT manipulator for light intervention. Figure 1 between 4-6 knots, twice as fast as To ensure clients receive the optimum Superior ROV final design showing traditional ROV seabed mapping. survey the company continually review configuration with skid and new operational performance, improve pipetracker frame (left) and ROV in high MODE 2 – ACOUSTIC LINE INSPECTION methodology and invest in the latest speed configuration without skid (right). Acoustic line inspections are performed technology, such as high density using side scan sonars only. Superior video, subsea laser technology and The modular approach allows a significant equipped with still cameras and laser 3D visualisation software, to improve flexibility in operation modes for the vehicle. profilers fly right above the pipe/product at the gathering of data processing and Three main modes of operation are 5-7m altitude and provide high resolution visualisation. envisaged: pictures from above as well as ultra high density 3D point clouds over the line.

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MODE 3 – VISUAL LINE INSPECTION (GVI)

Below is an example showing the Figure 4 level of detail that can be obtained Superior ROV – Mode from laser system. This provides 3 – Visual Pipeline significant cost benefit in terms of Inspection (GVI) the increased speed in this mode.

Carrying a pipetracker, cable tracker, camera booms and Conductivity Probe (CP) stabber arm, the Superior ROV is also able to perform close visual inspection with video cameras looking under the pipe or product is required. The Superior ROV will be able to perform this type of survey at a higher speed than previous ROVs. Click to view more info

Figure 3 Data example – Comparison 3D point clouds from MBE (left) and laser profile data (right)

Figure 5 Superior ROV – Launched from Volstad Surveyor

Put simply, the Superior ROV is faster, more stable and more capable than other Survey ROVs in the market.

DeepOcean

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= Click to view video

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The importance of seabed surveying In either case, seabed surveying provides THE early on in the project lifecycle cannot be the initial information required in order underestimated. If the project is to succeed to plan the project and maximise on the IMPORTANCE and maximise on its investment, then the conditions and technology available. OF SEABED site characteristics must be determined well TAKING A in advance of construction to ensure the HOW SEABED SURVEY ASSISTS IN DETAIL SURVEYING location is suitable to the technology type IN PROJECT PLANNING AND SITE Charlie Foll is Managing Director of Atlantas and that marine operations can be well SELECTION Marine which has been specialising in Seabed surveying for offshore wind planned to reduce the amount of sea time With the right experience and equipment, windfarm support for several years. “Our and wave & tidal energy is a broad and avoid any potential issues. hydrographic surveyors will also provide CLOSER LOOK smallest ROV (VideoRay Pro4) is barely subject but in encompasses a wide construction support to ensure accurate larger than a shoe box yet during turbine range of very specialised skills Typically, sites are selected through two surface and subsea positioning during Windfarm operators are rapidly discovering the advantages of using small construction it can carry a messenger and experience depending on the main scenarios: installation, of the turbines themselves and ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles) instead of divers for inspections and simple wire from a cable-ship and through the location, local conditions and client of the associated assets such as cables physical tasks. monopile. It can also carry a probe to test requirements. The scope of work for a • the technology developer selects a site and connectors. the cathodic protection system, or use a project can be extensive, but generally based on their technology, with a Whenever divers work the associated risks LATEST ROV CAPABILITY small manipulator arm to recover marine includes geophysical (bathymetry, view to finding the right site to match its Once a project enters the Operation are reflected in their cost to the customer Despite their small size, the latest growth samples for analysis. If the marine shallow seismic), geotechnical capabilities and Maintenance (O&M) phase, the role and for simple inspection jobs these may observation class ROVs can have a power growth needs to be removed, a larger borehole investigations, UXO and • the site is pre-selected at a of seabed surveys can provide further be hard to justify. If an inspection is needed and versatility that enables them to tackle a Ocean Modules V8 ROV equipped with a clearance surveys as well as metocean demonstration area e.g. EMEC or essential data for monitoring temporal to reveal the condition of a Tekmar seal, for wide range of tasks in sea conditions that pressure cleaner can do the job. data such as currents and wave WaveHub, where the developers need changes in features such as seabed example, or the extent of scouring around would be inaccessible to divers. Enhanced climate information. In tidal areas, to plan how their technology can make morphology e.g. for scour monitoring to a bell mouth, a diver’s report may also not video technology can overcome poor This ROV’s unique 360 degree collection of this data can add an extra bet use of that location. assess impacts on power cable integrity. be as useful as a service that enables the visibility while special cameras can see manoeuvrability makes cleaning more level of complexity. customer to see the situation for himself fluorescent dyes that reveal leaking seals efficient while its ability to settle on If done regularly, and planned in advance, on an ROV’s video or imaging sonar. Small or grout. Even the murkiest water can be an inclined J-tube can give precise this can be an essential tool in the O&M ROVs can make this possible and when penetrated by sonar imagery so engineers measurements of its angle.” strategy of the operators. the service provider specialises in windfarm can see a situation for themselves before support it will have the expertise needed deciding on a course of action. OVERCOMING MAJOR CHALLENGES At the Gwynt y Môr offshore wind farm, to meet the customer’s needs with the With costs and efficiency always taking Insight Marine Projects Ltd recently minimum of cost and disruption. top priority, Atlantas Marine is now provided essential information to their client demonstrating effective techniques that RWE Innogy/Manor Renewable Energy overcome major challenges during the Ltd which included baseline bathymetric operation and maintenance of offshore datasets within the wind park as well as wind farms. additional cable route and UXO surveys. So from pre-construction and O&M through Atlantas Marine to project decommissioning we have been instrumental in providing the data required by our clients to enable them to best plan the next steps in their project.

Insight Marine Projects Ltd

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56 www.windenergynetwork.co.uk www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 57 PRINCIPAL CONTRACTOR PRINCIPAL CONTRACTOR Celebrating 3 Years at Teesside Offshore Windfarm

SeaRoc Group, experts in offshore renewable energy since GREAT ACHIEVEMENT 2002, recently moved into its fourth operational year on EDF Nick Murphy, Head of Operations at Energy Renewables’ (EDF ER) Teesside offshore windfarm. SeaRoc Group commented: “Our work on Teesside offshore windfarm has been a The company was appointed to the role Principal Contractor in great achievement for SeaRoc. We are not December 2012, replacing the residing Principal Contractor, and aware of any other company our size which adopting full responsibility for the site at 00:01 on 1st January 2013. has successfully delivered the Principal Contractor role for an offshore windfarm and WORK SCOPE we are delighted to be taking our work on the The scope of work consisted of… project into its fourth continuous year. • Construction management for the installation of 27 × 2.3MW Siemens wind turbines and towers From signing the initial contract back on • Completion of foundation works Christmas Eve 2012 and taking over control • Cable termination at midnight on the 31st, we were able to • Transition piece energization set up a functioning marine coordination • Vessel management system overnight using SeaPlanner. We are • Installation of scour protection proud to have been operating that system • Array commissioning and interface management with the continuously now for over 3 years.” onshore works SeaRoc Group PROJECT TEAM At its peak, SeaRoc employed a team of 40 people on the Click to view more info project, which was handed over to the EDF ER Operations and Maintenance (O&M) team on 4th October 2013.

Since then SeaRoc has continued to provide support to EDF ER through the provision of the Marine Coordination system for the O&M phase (which operates using SeaRoc’s SeaPlanner software) and also Marine Coordinators, Rigging services, HSE advice and GIS services. SeaRoc and EDF ER have recently signed a contract to extend these services into 2016.

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PIONEERS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF JDR ANALYSIS EXPERIENCE JDR has a wealth of experience in subsea umbilical and power cable design, directly INTER-ARRAY CABLES FOR OFFSHORE WIND applicable to the supply of power cables to the renewable wind industry. Dynamic global finite We introduce JDR Cables as sponsors of our Inter-Array they do – you will therefore find a ‘storyboard’ on the subject 1 element analysis (FEA) for complex umbilical Cables feature. area of ‘The importance of technical cable analysis’ following this Thermal analysis to systems and local thermal FEA of umbilical cross introduction. determine limiting cable sections for complex temperature distribution in As Editor I had the pleasure of interviewing three of their technical rating the oil & gas industry which can be transferred team… FOLLOW-UP ARTICLES 1 directly to renewable cable systems. This is not the end of the story however as we will be drilling • Peter Worrall - Technical Services Director down more deeply in follow-up editions regarding all of the The insight gained on tidal generation projects is • Stephen Ingham - Lead Analysis Team Leader important work JDR Cables carries out in the wind energy industry also applicable to the offshore renewable wind • Caroline Lourie - Senior Analysis Engineer including… industry, in particular wrt stability in extreme tidal environments, routing optimisation for export KNOWLEDGE AND COMMITMENT • The concept of minimising risk prior to a project commencing and array cables and thermal constraints due The first thing that strikes you is the level of knowledge and • Experience in the Oil & Gas industry and lessons learned to cable operating losses. For one such project, commitment – we do come across this many times in engineering • The company’s strong technical function and JDR utilised dynamic power generation data and generally but in this case it was palpable. consideration given to developing a separate department cyclic environmental loading within the thermal • Bringing in projects on time and on budget analysis to optimise cable ratings for cables laid This introduction to the company and what it stands for will be • Relevant extracts from the technical information received 2 in close proximity. relatively brief from myself preferring to concentrate on the work Electromagnetic 2 analysis The technical services team has a strong background in dynamic analysis, cable design and development for the offshore subsea industries.

The importance of technical cable analysis ARRAY CABLES – PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE WHY PERFORM ANALYSIS? JDR has supplied array cables with both copper Analysis performed at the FEED stage can allow cable product • Fatigue lifetime endurance and resilience to operational and aluminium power cores to many wind farm design optimisation, considering: lifetime extreme storm conditions. projects around the UK and Europe. Key areas • Installation loading and requirements for bend stiffeners and • Optimising power core size wrt CAPEX material costs vs of experience for renewables include: restrictors to protect the cable; OPEX cable heating losses • Design and analysis for BSH 2K • Project specific factors such as total product length and • Any issues identified at FEED stage can be accommodated 3 environmental criteria for cables installed in weight for optimal storage and transportation; at detailed design stage in a much more timely and cost Electromagnetic interference offshore Germany territories • Requirements for stability on the seabed and the most cost effective way than can be done at the project execution stage. analysis • Optimisation of cable cross sections for effective means of achieving this; 3 intended ratings, including consideration of cyclic loading and losses • Cable proximity studies at sub stations to GLOBAL FEA – SYSTEM LEVEL LOCAL FEA – COMPONENT LEVEL maintain cable ratings ANALYSIS OF CABLE / UMBILICALS FOR: ANALYSIS OF CABLE / UMBILICAL • System design configuration Installation pull in analysis CROSS SECTION: In the future, it is envisaged that the core optimisation, considering buoyancy and • Thermal analysis for heat losses cross section design specification will be key tethering produced by power cores, for cable in reducing the LCOE, by considering CAPEX • Extreme event analysis to ensure rating limitations material content and OPEX heating losses product will not be mechanically • Electromagnetic analysis for and optimising in particular wrt dynamic cyclic compromised environmental impact, identifying levels 4 loading due to the stochastic nature of the wind • Fatigue analysis to ensure product will for detection of buried cables and Electromagnetic analysis conditions upon the generating capability. last intended lifetime electrical interference / cross talk to determine flux density of • Clashing / interference analysis to between cables in close proximity buried cable JDR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES RANGE 4 assess potential impact of other lines / • Component level stress analysis to • FEED design and analysis structures in proximity. determine • Design and manufacture of power cables and umbilcals • Global Services installation aftermarket support

JDR Cables

Click to view more info 5 = Click to view video Thermal analysis of Component level stress Floating wind turbine Monopile cable entry multiple cables analysis 5

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THE SIEM MOXIE IS DIFFERENT Central to the Siem Moxie is a walk-to- BAD WEATHER MEANWHILE BACK AT HQ work (short W2W) gangway, designed TRIED AND TESTED Siem Offshore Contractor’s General and manufactured by the Norwegian firm The Amrumbank West offshore Manager, Lars Muck is sitting in his office Uptime International. This gangway is active windfarm inner array cable installation at the company’s headquarters in Leer, Lars explains that it is a combination motion compensated, compensating not project was Siem Offshore Contractors’ TRIES TO STOP WORK Germany. It’s dark outside, and he can of the Siem Moxie’s Ulstein X-Bow just for heave, but also pitch and roll using opportunity to demonstrate that the hear the wind blowing. His mobile phone design hull form as well as a powerful a pedestal mounted compensation system. next generation of far from shore rings, it’s an old contact of his, who dynamic positioning (short DP) system This is combined with the fully redundant offshore windfarm projects can be It was a blustery, cold Aboard a support service ship returning happens to work on another offshore and stabilisers, all coupled with an active DP-2 system as well as stabilisation tanks supported safely and cost-effectively day in January 2015, at from a nearby operational offshore windfarm in the German North Sea. motion compensated gangway used to and Voith Schneider propulsion to deliver based on a new approach whereby windfarm, the skipper passes Siem transfer people to and from foundations an incredibly stable solution for transferring submarine cables were installed in the port of Cuxhaven. Offshore Contractors latest fleet addition, “Hi Lars” his friend says over the phone, in high winds and waves. She has personnel from the vessel directly to the unprecedented weather conditions, A plethora of offshore the Siem Moxie heading towards another “I’ve just heard that the Siem Moxie’s AIS accommodation for sixty people on board, working platform (or Transition Piece) of and at record speeds. construction and wind turbine foundation on Amrumbank must be broken!” and can stay offshore for long periods. the foundations, ready to commence cable service ships were all West. The skipper calls out over the radio installation works. Now the Siem Moxie is moving onto a warning about the weather and says that Lars pauses, then asks why his friend It’s his friend’s turn to pause, before asking, its next challenge, the Nordsee One seeking shelter due he will see Siem Moxie’s crew later for a thinks this is the case. “There are high “When can we charter her?!” The Siem Moxie furthermore has a ‘3D offshore windfarm where, no doubt, the to inclement weather hot drink and a catch up. The Siem Moxie winds and waves far over two metres motion compensated crane’ developed Siem Moxie will carry on turning heads. conditions turning responds they are aware of the weather significant wave height, Siem Moxie is the A ‘STEP CHANGE’ IN OFFSHORE by Norway-based MacGregor, which is aggressive. At E.ON and thanks him for the contact. only vessel in field according to AIS.” WINDFARM ARRAY CABLE used to transfer all required equipment INSTALLATION APPROACH from the back deck of the Siem Moxie onto Siem Offshore Contractors Climate & Renewables’ It takes just over 6 hours to get back to Lars smiles to himself, and explains that The Siem Moxie represents a significant the foundations. This leaves the cable lay nearby Amrumbank Cuxhaven. Finally arriving in his designated the Siem Moxie is indeed still working in technological innovation in the construction vessel to focus on laying and trenching of Click to view more info West offshore wind farm docking spot, the skipper checks his AIS field, “She can work in up to three metres of offshore windfarms, with a specific submarine cables, whilst the operational tracker to see how far out the Siem Moxie significant wave height” he says. focus on foundation works related to critical path is balanced between the vessel construction activity had was from coming back – to his surprise he His friend is incredulous, “How is this submarine cable installation. A result involved in the cable installation activities and all but ceased due to the finds that the Moxie is showing as still in possible?” he asks. of a carefully process oriented design the support activities of the Siem Moxie. weather. field! He hastily looks up the number of his considerations, based on client feedback contact at Siem Offshore Contractors. and drawing upon nearly twenty years’ experience in submarine cable installation, the Siem Moxie has been built to satisfy a long standing demand for an alternative approach to undertake various support works on offshore windfarm foundations.

On traditional installation projects, personnel were typically delivered to the foundations via sea-level boat-landing/ ladder structures on the outside of the foundation. A so called Crew Transfer Vessel (CTV for short) would push up against the fenders on either side of the ladder on the foundation and technicians would step across from the bow fender to the ladder and then commence to climb up to the working platform of the foundation. This activity was typically very weather sensitive specifically in relation to wave height, and - if delayed - could delay the entire installation campaign.

Equipment needed to perform cable pull-in and termination works would either be pre-installed, delivered by a larger ship via on-board cranes, or hoisted to the working platform by davits or small cranes from a CTV on the foundations thereby eating into a significant portion of the available time required for the safe installation of the submarine cables.

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efficiency and quality. Key areas of focus have Quality & included; Early Engineering, Personnel Training, detailed Project Reporting & Quality GOOD PRACTICE Efficiency Assurance. This well rounded approach ensures The global offshore renewable energy sector continues to experience rapid Optimising installation programmes that progressively risk is development. There is clearly an increased drive within this sector to reduce and improving efficiency, of the managed and controlled at costs by refining whole project design and developing new, lower cost construction phase of offshore each step of the journey. alternatives. The importance given to the ‘Whole Project’ approach as opposed to wind projects is one of the great the ‘Package’ approach should not be underestimated. challenges faced by the industry. Cost PROJECT REPORTING reduction initiatives during planning, Brian Hanratty, (H&Askham GOOD PRACTICE • Fundamentally new cable designs development and construction are Project Manager, Of course the success of any venture • Installation equipment, vessels, key in ensuring viability of projects for Renewables) describes the benefit of the construction and operational performance is directly related to the skill set that is techniques and dynamics skills being offered to you are indeed real. A investors and stakeholders. However, project reporting methods developed by of a windfarm, it will continue to be an employed. This is particularly so when • Maintenance/repair mistake at this stage can cost the project a it is imperative that reducing costs the company, “Accurate and detailed daily area of interest for both developers and considering offshore cables. • Standards and guidelines seriously disproportionate amount. does not compromise the quality of reporting, communicated on a near real contractors to explore advances in at all operation phase of the installations. time basis has proven instrumental in the stages of the project lifecycle. There continue to be significant cost All of the above points will very likely FUTURE PROJECT CONSIDERATIONS success of recent projects. reduction initiatives that focus on the have an impact upon the technical It would be worth considering on your CRITICAL PATH Close collaboration of all parties involved cabling requirements. Key players are and commercial viability and ultimate future projects the following key points… Where construction activities lie on the “When acting as the contractor we are in design and construction and engaging notably interested in promoting and optimisation of your project. Whilst we critical path to project completion there can now able to feedback information to with specialist contractors who will provide supporting those initiatives that look would like to target each one individually • Due diligence on different design be added pressure to accelerate works to the client regarding accurate progress practical knowledge and expertise based promising. and expand upon them, it is well beyond concepts (e.g. wet type) for higher maintain target deadlines. Inter-array cable of the works to assist with the forward on previous experience will form a sound the space available in this editorial. voltage levels, particularly 66kV installation, termination and testing form programming but further to this in the basis for project success. CABLE DEVELOPMENT • Addressing the current lack of design part of the activities of which, switch on for role of Client Representative the reporting Areas that are currently undergoing ENSURING SUCCESS standardisation operations is dependent upon. provided focuses on Quality Assurance.” H&Askham significant development include… It cannot be emphasised too highly that • Robust methodologies for handling the underlying key to ensuring that your longer lengths H&Askham have worked on a number of Brian stresses, “Fundamentally a quality Click to view more info • Cable protection project is a technical as well as a financial • Increased need for thorough route projects providing inter-array cable services installation will provide longevity in service.” • 66kV cable development success, rests squarely with the skills that engineering and have actively strived to develop not • Termination methods you employ. This necessarily starts at the • Emphasis on ensuring and maintaining only the practical installation techniques CLOSE COLLABORATION = Click to view video • Dynamic cables highest level so as to be able to assemble a jointing skills but the overall strategy with which projects With the influence of array cable properly skilled and • ARM: Availability, Reliability and are delivered to result in both improved terminations being prevalent both on experienced project Maintainability team. SOLID FOUNDATION power industries. Their in-house expertise It is always essential A good solid foundation is what your includes highly skilled and experienced to ensure that you project needs to ensure that it is ultimately FURTHER WORK FOR THE SUBSEA offshore technical professionals and onshore have a core of constructed in the most optimum way engineering management and operational skilled resources. possible. There will most likely be many HYDRAULIC CABLE GRAB support teams. Contracting challenges encountered along the route Pharos Offshore successfully completed a diver-less export cable repair for companies and but your team of experts should be able to London Array using the Subsea Hydraulic Cable Grab. The company also develops subsea cable personnel will negotiate them all in the most technically handling and burial solutions, including undoubtedly offer adept and cost effective way possible. PROJECT DETAIL Using the Subsea Hydraulic Cable Grab vehicle and handling systems, with a many services to Basslink a subsea cable connecting and a team of personnel from Pharos the proven track record in taking projects from your project but care Tony Zymelka George Town in Tasmania and Loy Yang cable will be recovered for repair. Pharos concept design, delivery, testing and on- should be exercised Director, Cable Operations in Victoria, has a possible fault with the delivered a work package with the rapid going support. to ensure that the BPP-Cables cable which is approximately 100km off the mobilisation of expertise, equipment to Tasmanian coastline in Bass Strait. locate and recover the subsea cable. INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS Pharos delivers innovative engineering Reacting quickly to customer solutions by combining state-of-the-art requirements the system was technology with knowledge gained from prepared and shipped within 2 days. real operational experience.

DELIVERING ENGINEERING EXPERIENCE SOLUTIONS Pharos offshore personnel are experienced Pharos Offshore delivers in all major manufacturers of remote engineering solutions for subsea operated vehicles, plough systems cable installation, maintenance and and launch and recovery systems. The repair. company’s multi-disciplined team have an extensive track record in subsea trenching, The company works with clients survey and ROV support. across the offshore oil & gas, submarine telecoms and renewable Pharos Offshore

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QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND ACCREDITATION CONTINUED DEMAND The company has undergone a thorough external assessment of their quality management systems in accordance with FOR INDUSTRY ISO 9001 and have been granted certification by ISOQAR, a UKAS accredited certification body. Albion originally added cable socks into PRODUCTS their manufacture for use in the telecoms and mining industries over 60 years ago but as the Based in Norfolk in the East of England, Albion Manufacturing continues to offshore industries have grown the company’s see the demand for their hand made cable socks/Chinese fingers (Albi-Grips) products have become more commonly increase in the UK, Europe and worldwide. The demand for their products used. They had already established a track comes primarily from the renewable energy/windfarm industry and given their record for quality and reliability with their clients location, Albion are ideally placed for windfarm activity along the east coast and however the demands of the industry led the the UK generally. directors to decide that improved certification was a necessity.

REPUTATION AND KNOWLEDGE Albion’s reputation and technical knowledge in their field has enabled them to attract many major names in offshore cable manufacture and installation to their ever increasing clientbase. This growing list includes JDR Cables, Prysmian, ABB, Jan De Nul, NKT, Global Marine Systems to name a few.

The company has already supplied their products to a number of UK and European windfarms including; London Array, Humber Gateway, Greater Gabbard, Sheringham Shoal, Scroby Sands, Northwind, Butendiek, Nordsee One, Global Tech, Gode Wind and continue to get enquiries for upcoming windfarms around Europe.

BRIGHT FUTURE Managing Director, Martin Nix, said: “Albion’s future looks good with enquiries already received for many of the planned windfarms but we aware that we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. We are committed to keeping quality at the forefront of our business operation. Investing in our company and our staff is an essential part of growing our business and attracting and retaining a dedicated and skilled workforce. Having our ISO 9001 certification from a UKAS accredited certification body shows our commitment to both our clients and our staff.

The added attraction with us is our proven experience and our ability to adapt and tailor make our products to meet our client’s specific requirements. We are aware that opportunities within the expanding windfarm sector should continue for some time therefore keeping quality and reliability as our main focus is paramount”.

Albion Manufacturing

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66 www.windenergynetwork.co.uk www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 67 INTER-ARRAY CABLES FEATURE SPONSOR FEATURE SPONSOR INTER-ARRAY CABLES REDUCING CABLING COSTS SOFTWARE PACKAGE

Kinewell Energy has developed the software package CASE STUDY MULTI-INDUSTRY TRANSFERABLE SOFTWARE Kinewell Layout Optimisation of Cable (KLOC), which Kinewell Energy has undertaken a case study of the 576 MW Although KLOC is based around offshore wind it is reduces offshore windfarm inter-array cabling costs by £3m Gwynt-y-mor windfarm currently the second largest operating transferrable to many other types of projects. Kinewell Energy - £30m per GW of installed capacity. windfarm in the world. The developer installed design is shown in can optimise the inter-connection design of any number of Figure 3 and the design found by the KLOC software shown in nodes with multiple collection locations. The KLOC software designs the geographic electrical connections Figure 4. In total the re-design yielded savings of £2.2m, or 3% of that link offshore wind turbines with a substation, collecting the the installed cable cost. This enables wind turbines, tidal generators, oil & gas pumps power before sending it to shore. to be connected to electrical substations or central processing CASE STUDY COST DETAIL facilities with electrical power cables, communication cables or EVOLUTIONARY ALGORITHM During the re-design the overall cable length reduced by 1.66 pipelines. The software is based on an evolutionary algorithm. A single km. Despite this the cable cost increased by £0.18m due to a iteration of the algorithm considers a small subset of the network higher proportion of the total length using cable with a larger cross Kinewell Energy and re-designs it. With many iterations the best areas of the sectional area. At the same time the installation cost reduced by network are kept while re-designing the sub-optimal areas. £0.34m because a greater proportion of the cable is designed to be laid in shallower waters. The software is extremely fast at doing this, allowing good designs to be found within seconds. This allows for an extensive range The real benefit in this case study however comes through the of design philosophies to be interrogated leading to significant reduction of electrical losses; some 1.2 GWh per year which is savings. enough energy to boil the water of 5 Olympic sized swimming pools from room temperature.

Figure 3 Figure 4

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WHY COMMISSION DUE DILIGENCE? This will depend on the scale of investment • Financial and tax due diligence – – a small and relatively simple asset a review of the historical (if applicable) may present a lower risk profile than a and forecast financial performance of the large, complex windfarm or portfolio of The nature and extent of any due windfarm, including an in-depth review assets. A larger investment is also more diligence needs consideration at an of the accounts and the valuation model likely to justify the level of fees incurred in early stage of the investment process to WIND ENERGY INDUSTRY conducting comprehensive due diligence. allow sufficient time and scope to carry Due diligence can From the perspective of an investor in a • Commercial/regulatory due out the analysis to the desired degree. windfarm, this can take a number of forms diligence – considering the key INVESTMENT FUNDING be defined as a which include… commercial assumptions that underpin Another factor is the source of funds ABOUT THE AUTHOR forecast revenue, including forming a behind the investment. Banks and other Gian Paolo is a senior member comprehensive appraisal • Legal due diligence – checking the view on likely future power price trends debt providers will typically require a of PwC’s dedicated renewables status of the various permits, consents the current and future subsidy regime higher level of comfort over the future cash Transaction Services team. Based of a business undertaken and planning conditions and reviewing and other market aspects flows of the asset than small scale equity in Edinburgh he carries out financial the commercial contracts and land investors. due diligence across the renewables by a prospective buyer, leases KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE sector for a variety of clients including The nature of the wind industry is such The requirements of debt funding often major utilities, private equity houses, especially to establish its • Technical due diligence – an that using a diligence provider with mean that the future cash flows will need Government bodies and corporates. assessment of the equipment (turbines, extensive sector experience is desirable. to be assessed to a high level of detail balance of plant and grid connection) For example, technical advisers will often and sensitivities applied to understand He has worked on onshore and assets and liabilities and to understand performance and have knowledge of specific turbine models the risk of future performance falling offshore wind, solar and marine energy reliability. May also cover assessing and the associated performance track short of expectations (with the possible projects in addition to work in the wider evaluate its commercial the wind energy forecasts and related record and the larger law and accountancy consequence of inability to service debt power & utilities industry. assumptions firms for example, have dedicated interest and principal repayments). potential. teams focused on renewables. Any investment made Gian Paolo on behalf of others (for PwC example, investing on behalf of a fund, or as a Click to view more info trustee) will require the decision maker to be seen to have taken all the necessary steps to make an informed and responsible decision – in other words, to have done their due diligence.

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Introducing Due Diligence advice from Andrew Click to view more Jackson Solicitors… info

Andrew Jackson Solicitors, a leader in the Two of their experts have written articles specifically on Due field of renewable energy business advice, Diligence and we feature them here – unfortunately we are restricted on the amount of space we have. However, you have been regularly contributing articles to can read Martin Collingwood’s contribution below and access our magazines right from the beginning. Andrew Oliver’s through the QR Code/Online link here.

CONSIDERATION FOR DUE DILIGENCE

The need for type and extent of due the transaction and its purpose together diligence will depend heavily upon with the practical realities of the situation the nature of the transaction being e.g. how much time is there to conduct undertaken. the investigation?

Essentially it is an information gathering The exercise will inform the extent of any exercise concerning a particular project, retention needed, the warranty cover, company or transaction and needs to the contractual terms and the need for be managed effectively to ensure that all and extent of security for performance the appropriate risks are identified and required. It is important that the team properly evaluated. carrying out the due diligence is made up of the right members with the appropriate THE PROCESS skills to carry out the exercise. In essence the process is an audit of the legal, financial and business risks ASSESSMENT OF RISK associated with a project, transaction or As part of the enquiry, consideration will company which, if carried out effectively need to be given to the industry norms in will allow the risks to be properly evaluated terms of risk as well as the risks specific to and provided for. the project or transaction in hand and the interests to be protected. It is not a substitute for contractual protection but assists in the exercise of Martin Collingwood determining what the risks are and what Andrew Jackson Solicitors protection you need to put in place and how best to achieve it. Click to view more info TIME CONSIDERATIONS The focus of any due diligence investigation will depend on the nature of

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MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TRAINING APPROACH Many Round 3 farms will involve helicopter transfer, meaning long emergency response times as are already experienced in oil & gas. It is imperative that project INDUSTRY team members can deal with emergencies if and when they occur. A multi-disciplinary training approach including drills and TRAINING scenario based exercises ensures that employees can think on their feet and cope SERVICES with any eventuality. Renewable Energy Specialist, Alison The facilities feature a ten metre tall PUMA Isbister, believes that the company’s helicopter simulator to provide realistic DEMAND success is down to its unrivalled industry simulated heli-deck fire-fighting scenarios, relationships and ability to deliver above as well as purpose-built structures that FULL BESPOKE TRAINING SERVICE and beyond the expected. She said: “We mirror some of the internal structures AIS’s fully bespoke service eliminates the have forged strong links with some of present on an offshore installation. Within need for training managers and accounts GROWS the industry’s biggest players to deliver these facilities, students experience the departments to juggle bookings and bills Leading industrial trainer, AIS is tailored training programmes for their heat and smoke conditions of a real for multiple courses, hotels and travel for experiencing huge demand for wind employees. Our ability to understand offshore fire. their workforce. services as its reputation for response the nature of their business and respond and bespoke training within the quickly to their needs ensures that we are AIS also offers a life-saving four day REALISM IN TRAINING renewable energy sector grows. often the first point of call for any training Advanced First Aid and Incident Minimum industry standards require requirements. Management Course. Highly experienced individuals working in the wind sector With UK wide coverage AIS’s multi-million rescue instructors and paramedics deliver to undertake a 6.5m or a 15m climb. pound Renewable Energy Training Centres “Often for larger companies with a scenario based training which gives The company has secured an exclusive of Excellence in North Shields and Grimsby large number of employees, it can be a learners advanced skills and the confidence agreement with ORE Catapult in are now seeing unprecedented levels of logistical nightmare to organise multiple and ability to manage an emergency Northumberland to utilise their 30m training delegates. Most are coming through the training courses. To help we offer multi- situation. tower, providing more realistic training companies GWO and RUK wind industry site delivery, weekend training, onsite that goes above and beyond RUK/GWO training packages as large projects in the training and help with planning. MULTI-LOCATIONS AND FACILITIES standards. UK and Europe grab headlines. AROUND THE UK “We can also deliver training at short The leading training company now has four Delegates undertake a 30m climb and INVESTMENT notice on weather days, enabling world-leading training facilities across the perform an evacuation towards the sea Queen’s Award-winner, AIS has invested employees who can’t transfer onto UK in… giving them a full appreciation of the heavily in these state-of-the-art facilities, projects to practice key skills, emergency conditions they will face on the job. which are purpose-built for the wind evacuations and identify any potential • Newcastle industry’s requirements. As well as climbing risks in procedure.” • Aberdeen Similarly, AIS trains delegates to operate and rescue platforms, vertical fall-arrest • Grimsby five different types of harness so they safety systems and evacuation hatches EMERGENCY RESPONSE SKILLS & • Huddersfield are able to fulfill most wind operators’ the company has also developed a mock EXPERTISE standards. This approach of going above nacelle to enable delegates to train in Specifically the company is working State-of-the-art facilities offered in one and beyond means that delegates are well- more advanced rescues. In addition the closely with industry to deliver the skilled location include… prepared and able to operate at the highest company has new technical engineering and competent workers required to meet standards when out in the field. facilities ready for the release of the new industry objectives and the needs of • World-class 12 acre industrial training GWO Basic Technical Training Standards, tomorrow’s workforce. village AIS Training due to be released later this quarter. • Offshore survival pool Unlike the oil & gas industry the wind • Renewable Energy Centre of Click to view more info WORKING WITH INDUSTRY sector is still growing in maturity. Skills and Excellence AIS is working with many windfarm competencies are constantly changing and • 30m wind turbine training tower owners and operators to plan and deliver developing. Using their vast experience in • Emergency Response Facility = Click to view video competency training and have a number of oil & gas, AIS is helping the industry shape • Rigging and Lifting Centre preferred supplier framework agreements standards by developing courses and • Rope Access Centre in place. involving key industry players in proposed • CompEx Electrical Unit changes and pilot projects. • Welding and NDT Centre • Onsite hotel with rooms starting from Emergency Response, Advanced Rescue just £25 per night and First Aid training is particularly important as offshore and onshore windfarms become more remote and logistically challenging.

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UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE The ever increasing growth in exploration and construction within the marine environment, especially with the continued expansion of wind energy projects, has undoubtedly demonstrated an increase in exposure to items of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO).

CONSIDERABLE PROBLEM Some reports suggest that 1 in 10 of the bombs dropped on the UK and its surrounding waters during WWII failed to detonate. As such, bomb disposal has become a common addition to the planning phase at offshore sites in the UK and around the world. Should the threat of UXO arise during a project, a crucial question for operators is how they can reduce the commercial downtime caused. Moreover, how they can identify a competent solution thereby maintaining site safety and project continuity.

BEST PRACTICE GUIDANCE UNEXPECTED COSTS AND POTENTIAL RISKS Recently, industry lead bodies such as the Institute of Although historically a military deliverable, commercial bomb Explosives Engineers (IExpE) and Construction Industry disposal contractors have understood the importance of timely Research and Information Association (CIRIA) have released and appropriate responses to the threat of UXO on a project. best practice guidance and other relevant advice to provide A delay in response time could generate significantly elevated support to organisations in the marine environment with and unexpected costs for businesses or potentially result in regards to the management of UXO risks. Historically, damage to valuable assets. RZ_150810_AnzMNicholls.indd 1 12.08.15 08:18 companies who choose to recognise savings early on by neglecting risk management invariably encounter prolonged Due to the potential risks associated with UXO and other response times. Explosive Remnants of War (ERoW), it is crucial that effective decisions and threat assessments are made during the initial Working At Height & Rescue • Fire Awareness This is primarily due to required permit applications and risk hours of the incident. This subsequently assists with ensuring First Aid with Automatic External Defibrillation • Manual Handling Technician Core Skills • Safe Lifting & Slinging for Turbines management sign off in the event that an item of UXO is safety allowing a reduction in potential impacts to the site. encountered on site. This leads to significantly elevated costs during the project causing potential downtime of vessels Ramora UK working in the area and consequently delaying project completion. Whereas, companies who initially invest wisely, Click to view more info and entirely, in a UXO solution will secure prioritised response www.minesrescue.com times and, in turn, reap the financial rewards during the project. 01383 510766

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MAKING SURE YOU'RE PREPARED Your rescue arrangements need to ensure you are protecting the rescuers and where WHEN THINGS GO WRONG EMERGENCY necessary, include resuscitation equipment. We all hope it never happens. The dreaded call comes in from the project where an accident or incident has occurred. At PROVISION this point we all wish we were better prepared for the event. We wish we had attended that training course or organised a The number of times I have gone onto project training event to test ourselves. We wish we had read the Emergency Response manual more recently, checked if PROCEDURES sites where employees are provided with it was up to date, that all the contacts were correct and that everyone understood their role. and must wear, respiratory protective If you require employees to enter a confined space, you must prepare suitable devices, either compressed air or chemical and sufficient arrangements for their rescue. Very importantly this is required oxygen, to find that there is no provision for even if the emergency is not brought about by a specified risk. resuscitation equipment.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCES Generally, I am informed that if they need I have witnessed a situation during a mock rescue exercise to prove that arrangements resuscitation equipment, they will call the were suitable and sufficient, where a casualty with a simulated broken leg, had to be emergency services (999). If someone removed from the stretcher because it was impossible to manoeuvre the stretcher (scoop) is recovered, or being recovered, from round a tight bend in the confined space. Imagine trying that with an unconscious casualty, an oxygen deficient atmosphere, you fitted to a resuscitation device, creating a time constraint. have three minutes maximum to get an oxygen supply to them. The chance of that happening by calling for help is zero.

RESPONSIBILITY It’s your confined space, your employees, your problem.

CONSIDERATION When selecting people to provide emergency rescue, reference should be made to the risk assessment and required control measures. Consideration should be given to…

• Causes of an emergency • Use of equipment - breathing apparatus, lifelines, tripods and winches, cutting equipment, lifting equipment • Training in donning and using breathing These are just a few things that might arrangements for emergencies. The Information via social media can be posted apparatus rush through your mind in the event of an documentation is in place, the emergency within minutes of an incident occurring. • Testing and maintenance of rescue emergency occurring. It is especially true response team have been listed, the PR teams must be prepared to respond, equipment when you are the first point of contact, or contact numbers and support team are in as must all key personnel for dealing with • Identifying defects - and dealing with them the person witnessing events unfold. place... but is this enough? rumour and speculation. • Site rules and emergency communication • Isolation systems DOCUMENTED PROCEDURES The answer is simple. No! Effective DEDICATED ERT TEAMS • Resuscitation procedure, including To avoid panic and misunderstanding response if best achieved through regular As distance from safe haven to offshore equipment it is essential that every project has a testing of the plan. Every ship should hold assets increase, we find that projects • First aid fully documented emergency response at least one emergency drill along with that have engaged with dedicated ERT • Fire fighting procedure or system in place. Equally safety training every month. Many will hold response teams, with regular drills are the • Liaison with the emergency services important is that this procedure is revisited one drill per week. The reason for this? best prepared for assisting with an actual • Rescue techniques and refresher regularly. To be prepared for the worst. No amount incident offshore. training/mock exercises of documentation is as valuable as the Specialist Marine Consultants Ltd (SMC) simulation of an emergency situation. Ian Coates By far the most effective way of ensuring have worked on a very large number Managing Director I have also seen, again fortunately during placed over a shaft, very successfully that work in a confined space is carried of renewable offshore and oil & gas IMMEDIATE RESPONSE SMC Emergency Response a training exercise, where a casualty being rescuing the casualty to the top of the out safely and efficiently is to ensure exploration projects and are often asked to REQUIREMENTS lifted vertically had almost made it out of shaft and then realising they had no way of everyone involved, from the Manager to the set up and run drills on behalf of clients. The benefits of running unscripted real- Click to view more info the confined space (a reservoir wall) when, “landing” the stretcher and casualty onto Supervisor to the Operatives, is competent. time scenario drills are vast. The team due to a twist in the access tower (20m the side of the shaft. Imagine being the RESPONSIBILITY does not know what is going to occur until vertical) he had to be lowered to the foot casualty and being able to see safety, but Errol Parrish, Operations Manager Unfortunately, not all projects have a the call comes in. They must organise the of the tower and his boots removed as this not get there! Mines Rescue Marine resilient system for testing their emergency team and manage the situation, including was the only way to clear the twist and response. UK legislation requires the media. This we find has become one complete the rescue. LESSON LEARNED Click to view more info companies who are responsible for the of the most challenging new aspects of The important lesson is practice to ensure safety of their offshore workers to make any drill. Similarly, I have been informed of a rescue suitability and sufficiency of your rescue being carried out using a heavy duty tripod procedures.

78 www.windenergynetwork.co.uk EVENTS EVENTS WHATS ON...

8 Marine Co-Ordination Next Issue Sponsored by Specialist Marine (editorial deadline 15th April 2016) Consultants Ltd 1 Hydraulic Pumps 9 Fall Prevention & Arrest Still available to sponsor Still available to sponsor 2 Onshore Operations & Maintenance 10 Marine Ordnance Sponsored by The Met Office Sponsored by Ramora UK 3 Life Extension of Windfarms 11 Floating Wind Turbines Still available to sponsor Still available to sponsor 4 Supporting High Net Worth Individuals 12 Survey Vessels Sponsored by PJ Marks & Co Sponsored by Bibby Hydromap 5 Substations 13 Gangway & Access Systems Still available to sponsor Still available to sponsor 6 Offshore Oil Changes 14 Workboats Sponsored by Peter Lonsdorfer Sponsored by Tidal Transit 7 Fire Awareness 15 Subsea Umbilicals & Seals Still available to sponsor Sponsored by Subsea Innovation HUMBER UPDATE SPECIAL EDITION With pull out matrix supplement

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EDITORIAL REQUEST If you would like to contribute an article please get involved and send us your 350 word story and images. Editorial is completely free of charge. To promote your company in the feature and matrix there are a number of options available, including a few of the section sponsorships. Follow the link above for more information.

Humber Update will consist the following subsections... • Recruitment • Ports & Port Services Sponsored by WWL ALS • Further Education Sponsored by Grimsby Institute Group • Training Sponsored by HFR Solutions CIC • Market Opportunities Sponsored by Green Port Hull • Professional Services • Operations & Maintenance • Denmark & Humber Sponsored by Mascot International • Logistics Sponsored by Modal Training Ltd • Research & Innovation Sponsored by University of Hull • Support Services Sponsored by HOTA - Logistics Institute • Engineering

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Events and What’s New... OCEANOLOGY INTERNATIONAL (OI) 2016 WHEN 15 – 17 March WHERE Excel, London Invitation to... CONTACT www.oceanologyinternational.com

IWEA ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 Meet the team WHEN 23 – 24 March WHERE Dublin, Ireland CONTACT www.iwea.com/index We want to let you It is a great opportunity to discuss ways we can help promote your company know about the and listen to your ideas. If you would EWEA WORKSHOP – ANALYSIS OF OPERATING WIND various events we will like to meet us, please get in touch FARMS 2016 (3RD EDITION) as we will be attending the following WHEN 14 – 15 April be attending in 2016. events: WHERE Bilbao, Spain CONTACT www.ewea.org/events/workshops/analysis- EVENTS LIST of-operating-wind-farms-2016 • Oceanology International 2016 Excel London, 15-17th March • OWC 2016 THMA’s “Offshore Wind ALL ENERGY 2016 Connections” Annual Conference & WHEN 4 – 5 May Exhibition WHERE Glasgow, UK Bridlington, 11-12th May CONTACT www.all-energy.co.uk • RenewableUK Global Offshore Wind 2016 MCCC Manchester, 21-22nd June THMA OWC 2016 (OFFSHORE WIND CONNECTIONS) • EWEA Annual Event 2016 ANNUAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION Hamburg, 27-30th September WHEN 11 – 12 May WHERE Bridlington, UK CONTACT www.offshorewindconnections.com

AWEA WINDPOWER CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION 2016 WHEN 23 – 26 May WHERE New Orleans, USA CONTACT www.windpowerexpo.org

RENEWABLE ENERGY ASIA 2016 WHEN 1 – 4 June WHERE BITEC, Bangkok CONTACT www.renewableenergy-asia.com

FOR MORE INFO ON Click to FORTHCOMING FEATURES view more info NEXT EDITION - ISSUE 32

LOOKING FOR A SPECIALIST SERVICE PROVIDER IN THE WIND

ENERGY INDUSTRY? Fliss - Editorial Duncan - Editorial Carly - Sales Rosie - Sales Visit our extensive online Supply Chain Register where circa 1300 companies specific to the wind energy industry are listed

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Remedial work cost circa €100.000. Investing a couple €-thousand in fully- Gunnar is a second generation coatings- trained, qualified and certified coating- inspector & consultant with 23 years of inspectors before and during the corrosion-protection experience. As MD of original coating application would have SCICON worldwide bvba, he holds an SSPC avoided the whole problem. PCI Level III-, SSPC PCS (Protective Coatings Specifically, the covers of two auxiliary Offshore coatings Specialist) & NACE CIP Level III Certification. Sub-Contractor 1, SCICON worldwide transformers passed so far down the bvba and Howard Jess Solutions provided supply chain that although the coated Howie, a FROSIO Level III Coating Inspector, a full team of certified and experienced QC- area was minimal, specifications, multiple-patent holder and former Technical inspectors with full stop/go-authority. No procedures and quality-control were Why fail when you Director of a UK paint manufacturing claims were made in the first two years. lost. company, notes cost factors. Sub-Contractor 2, which hired two In the first year offshore, white zinc-salt “Actual paint costs are relatively small separate freelance inspectors under its formation under a coating applied onto compared to onshore construction phase own QC-department (with no training/ Thermal Sprayed Zinc (TSZ) caused can succeed? application costs,” he explains. “If contractors certification), was less fortunate. blistering. Failure analysis revealed the get it wrong and have to correct things ultimate coating-system not complying High-quality offshore coatings can cost Things go wrong for many reasons, offshore, the paint costs to application costs with ISO 12944, or the client’s original thousands but save millions. explains Gunnar. Poor surface preparation ratio is astronomical – reaching 0.1 to 99.9 PROJECT A specification. and application, bad specification changes (1:999) in one case study. Using the wrong ‘BAND OF BLISTERS’ OFFSHORE Gunnar Ackx and Howard Jess are ideally-placed to know. They have along the supply chain and poorly-selected paint is that expensive! WINDFARM In reality, a two-coat powder-coating- delivered successful QA- or QC- coating-inspection-services for more than coating materials are common causes. system of suspect quality was used 1,100 wind energy-related offshore structures since 2000. “We stop small problems becoming large on top of a poorly-applied TSZ. The “People tend to manage risks based expensive problems by putting the right originally specification required a five- on the actual coating work costs,” he quality assurance and quality control in coat liquid-applied coasting-system Together, they provide expert Howie and Gunnar head up the highly- says. “When operational risks are severe, place early.” - including a zinc-rich primer, two management for thousands of square experienced Howard Jess Solutions/ budgeting must cover the massive water-based intermediate coats, plus metres of well-prepared bare metal. SCICON Worldwide bvba partnership. Their potential cost of things going wrong, WHICH RISK SCENARIO APPLIES TO YOU? two water-based top coats. Less diligent operators have discovered mission is to prevent such catastrophes often for very trivial reasons.” he adds. The paper’s case studies cover common that even a few neglected square on major projects. Both step in regularly to “Every € spent on onshore corrosion offshore and marine problem/solution/ Repair work while the 150,000 volt centimetres can lead very quickly minimise losses when things go wrong! protection can multiply up quickly by a benefit corrosion-protection scenarios. transformers were live in poor weather to €-multi-million repair costs, lost factor of 50, 100, or more if the problem conditions, during complex transfer production time, logistical nightmares NEW PAPER ANALYSES HOW TO SAVE moves offshore.” Project A operations and with stringent offshore and extended legal wrangles. ‘MILLIONS’ Involved no initial QA inspections but safety certification requirements, meant The three very typical real-life case-studies included failure-analysis and repair Blistering problems on circa 6m2 of two a final bill of up to ± €16.666/m2! below show how due diligence during consultation following premature offshore substation transformer covers after two All this could have been avoided… sophisticated coating processes can avoid coating failures. years at sea highlighted the difficulty of rather easily. problems, while also keeping repairs costs allowing small components subbed out and disruption low when mistakes are made. Project B and then subbed out again, to slip through CONTINUED... Full-time QA coating inspectors working for the QA net. Original client specifications are GETTING IT RIGHT FIRST TIME the main contractor avoided €-multi-million easily lost or diluted down the supply chain. In the worst case scenario of repairs and repair work. replacements at sea, the team works to meet tight access, safety regs, paperwork, Project C timeframes and adverse weather window A joint-venture between two sub-contractor requirements on operating assets. steel construction companies. Sub- Contractor 1 covered 58% of the new-build Far better, say Glasgow-based Howard structures; Sub-Contractor 2 42%. Jess Solutions Ltd and Bruges-based SCICON Worldwide bvba, to grab ‘the one chance of doing it right in the first place’.

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5,400 main platforms & resting-platforms grating-studs. Opening the coating showed PROJECT B PROJECT C substantial areas of surrounding carbon ‘HIGH TENSION’ OFFSHORE ‘MINOR DETAIL – MAJOR PROBLEM’ steel corroding due to ‘galvanic corrosion’. WINDFARM OFFSHORE WINDFARM Clearly, these studs and especially the ‘mixed weld’, had not been treated to Poor coating & QC practice on 5,400 Norsok M-501 standards. Coating- overlooked stainless steel grating-studs thickness on the studs was less than on carbon steel structures for 30 out of 71 required. Masking-tape was found under The problem persisted, widely-dispersed offshore wind turbines paint. Some surface-profiles were poor. INSPECTION COMPANY SELECTION resulting in an intensive turned a minor detail into a significant CHECKLIST search for possible problem. No similar coating-breakdown was found Successful coating depends on contamination-sources. on the 41 foundations produced by inspection-company and the As QA for the main Contractor A under the watchful eye of our Gunnar Ackx coating-inspectors competence and contractor, we insisted QC-inspectors. experience. Owners need to ask on further in-depth themselves… laboratory-analysis of Although Contractor A made a higher production samples. investment in proper Quality Control, clearly • Does the inspection company Several high-tension, Contractor B paid out circa five times provide inspectors with proven high-level meetings Contractor A’s initial budget – a 500% Level III NACE, SSPC and/or Frosio followed. Fortunately, advantage, even on a single project. qualifications? a willingness on all • Do they understand offshore sides to reconfigure the Full QA/QC control could have prevented challenges? production & delivery- a minor infringement becoming a major • Are the appropriate industry schedule meant that calamity from the start. standards referenced Thousands of craters found in the first suspect coating-batches & transition- Howard Jess correctly in client specifications? coat during fabrication of three (of 43) pieces were quarantined pending lab test- CONCLUSIONS • Does the inspection company have transition piece foundations resulted in results. There are no corrosion-protection these standards; are they familiar €100,000+ worth of fabrication-shop shortcuts. Premature coating-failures with them? re-blasting and re-painting work per Careful analysis revealed the basic problem offshore can increase in-house coating- • Does it carry professional liability transition piece. The alternative would stemmed from an 8% silicon contaminant Most studs were not treated properly to budgets by ten or even a hundred-fold. insurance? have been an estimated €2.25 million added in error to the coating. A full Norsok M-501 standards; an average • Does it have professional accident bill if the problem was left to develop ‘Norsok qualification lab-test cycle’ then corroded area of 17cm2 per stud, times All parties, from owner to main-contractors insurance? further offshore! proved that one batch failed the Cathodic 180 studs per foundation, times 30 and sub-contractors, must make sure • How many inspectors are available Initial coating-manufacturer and Disbonding test miserably. The coating- foundations was the result. Offshore Quality Control & Assurance is a top priority & how flexible are they? coating-contractor reassurances that manufacturer ultimately concluded that the remediation costs mushroomed quickly to at all times. Small details in large numbers a limited problem could be remedied offshore coating-failure risks were too high. €1.5 million. can escalate offshore repair-costs rapidly. Jon Herbert by an extra intermediate layer to Reblasting/recoating was the only sensible compensate for local under-thicknesses solution. The project was overseen by two joint- When large figures are at stake, the price- proved wrong. venture contractors with no in-house QA/ difference between well-trained, certified Jon Herbert talks to Howard Jess A small side-issue - proper registration of QC skills or certifications. coating-inspectors with sound offshore and Gunnar Ackx. coating-batch-numbers - also showed corrosion-protection experience and less that non-qualified QC-staff use is “an Contractor A hired 3 to 4 certified qualified inspectors often drawn from accident waiting to happen”. Unnecessary coating-inspectors from Howard Jess industries with little offshore experience, is ED’S NOTE repair-costs could have been even higher. Solutions/SCICON Worldwide to act as “penny-wise, pound-foolish”. This is an Full diligence from the outset could have an independent QC with stop/go authority abridged version Click to prevented the whole problem. We helped over the coating of 41 foundations. If hiring experts seems expensive, try hiring please see view more save the contractor in excess of €2 million. amateurs! the complete info Meanwhile, Contractor B used two article ‘Offshore separate freelance inspectors to survey the coatings – Failure or Cost- production of 30 foundations under their saving Opportunities?’ By own QC-department. using this link.

Two years after offshore-installations, ALL 30 Contractor B foundations showed corrosion-breakthrough around some

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(no primer needed) to the splash zone Of course, no coating or applicator is and foundations of the tower. perfect. Perfection would come at an ULTIMATE PROTECTION FOR unacceptably high price. Therefore there “The product is easy to apply using CORROSION CONTROL will be minor breakdown over the life of the OFFSHORE WIND FARMS heavy-duty, cold single-feed airless spray coating before first major maintenance – equipment, and exhibits excellent edge this should be planned for. Over the past ten years, the steady “Therefore, coating systems specified for coverage with no shrinkage at high-film FOR WINDFARMS growth of large wind farms situated such critical locations must be easy to thickness – even in critical areas. These REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE hundreds of miles offshore (the ‘Far apply at construction-stage and proven attributes improve both the efficiency The offshore wind industry benefits TRIAL APPLICATION The sooner minor repairs are made, the Shore’ sector) has prompted the for offshore exposure in order to give the and productivity of the in-shop painting from transferable supply chain skills, Before any coatings are applied to a major less costly they will be and less likely need for new technologies that can specified high durability level with minimal process, and ensure that long in-service predominately from the marine and structure, a trial should be carried out with to break down again before first major meet the demands of operating with maintenance.” periods and minimal maintenance will be oil & gas sectors. However, in doing the coating system to ensure operatives are maintenance. They should also be logged, increasingly hostile environments. met. so, the industry mustn’t repeat the familiar with it and what equipment works and fed back to the applicators/industry so SOLUTION mistakes of these sectors. The best for the coatings. that ways can be found to reduce these on DEVELOPMENT “SIGMASHIELD 1200 fully addresses OTHER RELATED FACTORS challenge of corrosion control using future projects. In 2011, Protective & Marine Coatings these requirements and is applied during “Once in service, critical areas of the protective coatings is one of these The coating specification is important (PPG) developed SIGMASHIELD 1200, new construction as a two-coat system structure such as the transition zone, areas. as it details how the system is to be a solvent-free, phenolic epoxy coating boat landings and access ladders will inspected, when and by whom. Too developed to give more resilient long-term be securely protected from damage as Barrier has developed innovative processes many specifications assume coatings protection to offshore installations. The a result of drifting ice, driftwood, other and expertise, built on extensive experience can be applied to within microns of a product has outstanding anticorrosive debris and the mooring of inspection in the established offshore industries, which specified dry film thickness (DFT), when performance as well as excellent impact vessels. are applied to the offshore wind market. in practice it is plus or minus hundreds and abrasion resistance. of microns for a high-build coating. “The product also exhibits good KEY ISSUES resistance against a wide range of Greg Bausch says: “One of the key issues chemicals and solvents, and is resistant facing stakeholders is the need to balance to well-designed cathodic protection.” protective performance with the cost and complexity of maintenance for these Greg Bausch installations. We know that corrosion rates Global Segment Power for unprotected steel can be as much as ten Protective & Marine Coatings (PPG) times the corrosion rate for inland structures.

Robert Bowles

LESSONS LEARNED Unfortunately, this is not the case in the oil & gas industry, where the same mistakes have been made for the past 40 years.

COATING APPLICATION CONFUSION, CONFLICTS AND COSTS Expectations need to be realistic, the In my experience, a coating that can be Specifiers often include ‘just in case’ industry will not achieve an offshore 30 applied reliably is as important as one standards, which are not relevant to the years to first long-term maintenance using with ‘high performance’. It should also application. This leads to Confusion, a cheap coating and an inexperienced be tolerant of over-application, and not Conflicts and Costs. The ideal is to focus applicator. Neither will coatings be be specified at its minimum thickness to on the areas where the coating is most maintenance-free for 30 years. achieve a maximum performance. likely to breakdown. However, utilising specialists that have However, as important as the coating is Cost savings can also be applied for developed innovative coatings systems the contractor charged with its application. inspections, essentially not repeating the and application methods, while learning The applicator should have a proven track ‘man marking’ process of the oil & gas from experiences in other sectors, will help record and an experienced workforce. industry, which often leads to three or more deliver the construction and operational Unfortunately, there is no independent inspectors checking each other’s work. targets of the offshore wind industry. grading of coating applicators or a If quality is built in, only one inspector is database of coating failures and causes, required and another person monitoring the Robert Bowles which means the due diligence of the inspection regime. Chairman operators and main contractors has to be Barrier Group robust.

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A NEW OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE STRATEGY FOR COATINGS The cost of operations and Predominantly due to multiple lifts and • Report – used at fabrication facilities to maintenance in the offshore wind laydowns it is almost impossible to ensure record coatings application, deviations industry is well known. This is that there is no damage to protective from specification and any repairs or particularly acute with protective coatings through the fabrication and rework required coatings where small areas of damage installation processes. It is also understood • Survey – used during operations to can cause serious issues if unchecked. that any repair should be treated as a weak record the condition of coatings. If a It’s estimated that a coating system point. However if you had knowledge of daily report was used at new can cost €15-25 per m² at fabrication, repaired areas in the coating system you construction, potential areas of rising to 5-10 times that amount for could tailor maintenance strategies to focus weakness can be given closer attention onshore repair, rising to 40-60 times the on these high risk areas. during maintenance fabrication cost for repairs offshore. • Repair systems – used to build the POTENTIAL PROBLEMS maintenance plan; highlighting priority Potential problems include tracking areas and offering coating repair systems repaired areas, understanding what was done to repair these and in some instances WEB-BASED even knowing what coating system was Interplan Mobile is web-based allowing used at new construction. data to be viewed instantaneously by all concerned parties. The system can suggest SOLUTION maintenance based on risk management, AkzoNobel have recently brought to market giving cost estimates for work required. It Interplan Mobile; which has been used in can also reduce inspection time and remove the offshore oil & gas industry for a number cost from the fabrication and maintenance of years. The system, which can support process and is currently being rolled out fabrication, installation and O&M, has three and will be used on a number of upcoming main components… offshore wind substations.

AkzoNobel

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