JUNE/JULY 2013 | £5.25 - Wind Energy Network

WIND ENERGY NETWORKCONTENTSCONTENTSPage 4Industry lead article – Concrete v SteelPage 60Spotlight on the West of ScotlandPage 6Your Industry News section starts herePage 70Company profile – Capital SafetyPage 10Your regular events calendar and what’s newPage72Workboats featurePage 12Women in Wind – the ladies who are leadingthe wayPage 80Lubricants & Filtration – regular advice from ourexperts in the fieldThe cover image was supplied byFalck Safety Services – Pippa is onethe many women who work within thewind energy industry.Our feature contains a number ofinteresting articles on women that havecarved out a successful career in andaround the industry and work for all sortsof companies & organisations.Page 22Page 26Page 32Page 34Page 48Page 54Business Development section – regular advice fromour team of expertsResearch & Development – a new regular featureCompany profile – Douglas Westwood ConsultancyDevelopments in Foundations TechnologyScour preventionMoney Matters – the start of our regular financefeaturePage 86Page 92Page 96Page 98Page 108Page 112Legal Eagles - regular law featureDistributed WindCompany profile – Spencer CoatingsOffshore Accommodation – how things havechangeLiftingRenewable WorldRegular/one off featuresAmongst some 12 features within thisedition (the highest total in our history)we focus on Finance, Workboats andResearch & Development to name but 3.Duncan McGilvray| Wind Energy NetworkomenEditorinWindp19p48p107Green Energy Publishing Ltd (Northern) The Oaks, Oakwood ParkBusiness Centre, Bishop Thornton, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG3 3JNGreen Energy Publishing Ltd (SOUTHERN)OrbisEnergy, Wilde Street, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR32 1XHTELEPHONE 01765 644224WEB SITE www.windenergynetwork.co.ukEditorial duncan@greenenergypublishing.co.ukSales sales@greenenergypublishing.co.ukFront cover image: courtesy of ???Wind Energy Network magazine is happy to accept unsolicited contributions for consideration. Editorial opinions expressedin this magazine are not necessarily those of Green Energy Publishing Ltd and the company does not accept responsibilityfor advertising content. The publishers cannot accept any responsibility for omissions or errors. The contents of thismagazine are fully protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without written permission.02 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 03

LEAD ARTICLELEAD ARTICLEConcreteversusSteelTo date the Government andoffshore wind industry hasconcentrated its energies onexpensive steel piles and jackets.It appears they are reluctant to usea cheaper and superior systemoffered by concrete Gravity BaseStructures (GBS).In order to meet carbon reductiontargets no-one, either in Government orIndustry, appears to have consideredthe true through-life costs and longtermimpact of steel structures.We are, therefore now in a situationwhereby any area shallow enough toconstruct in steel has been substantiallydeveloped using pile-supported windturbine generators, ignoring the factthat wind farms could be constructedfar more economically further offshoreand away from view, fishing groundsand shipping lanes.A more considered approachIt therefore seems timely for amore considered approach to beadopted as future large offshore winddevelopments will be about scale, lowunit cost and repeatability. The offshorewind supply chain will be required todeliver a large number of foundationsin a very short timeframe, ensuringsafe and cost-effective transportation,installation and maintenance.Gravity Base Structures (GBS)Concrete GBSs are cheaper and easy toinstall, have better fatigue characteristics,are easier and cheaper to maintain andcan be removed relatively easily thusobviating legacy problems.Self-installing GBSsSelf-installing GBS are easy to installand avoid the very heavy cost ofcomplex installation vessels with theirattendant high project risk. These factsare apparently not clearly understoodby Government, who provide little realsupport for the development of thispotentially all-British technology.Understandably GBS is lobbied againstby steel pile and tower system suppliersand the owners of the expensive andhighly profitable ship operators. However,if the Wind Industry in general and thedevelopers in particular were to fullyappraise GBS, these systems would veryquickly become the industry norm.Mass productionGBS could easily be made andcommissioned with their Wind TurbineGenerators (WTGs) fitted and ready fordeployment using mass production linetechniques at several centres around theUK. This system, incidentally, would createsubstantial employment within the supplychain and avoid importing steel structuresfrom Europe.“Float and Sink” technologyIt is certainly very thought-provokingto envisage WTGs being towed froman inshore construction site on theirself-floating foundation structures, fullyassembled,tested, 90% commissionedthen installed using standard marinetugs, operating at a fraction of the costof complex and very expensive specialistinstallation vessels currently employed andbeing able to be deployed within hours. Atrue “Float and Sink” technology.Sub-stations can also be assembled andcommissioned in-dock and deliveredin the same way. The only off-shorecommissioning would be running andconnecting the cables between installedunits; such a scenario should be today’sreality.“Plug and Play” scenarioWind farms containing hundreds of GBSbasedWTG and sub-station units couldbe easily developed and made operationalwithin a minimum time-frame; offering atrue “plug and play” scenario in 60 metresof water and beyond.To give an idea of what could be achieved– imagine the allies trying to build MulberryHarbour on D-Day using steel piles. Theoutcome would have been very different.Using GBS technology Mulberry went inovernight and was crucial to victory.DeploymentThe concrete GBS systems are stableduring tow even with large (10mW)WTG’s. Deploying them in the North &Irish Seas would require very little or nosea-bed preparation using specialisedintegral foundation pads; where scourprotection is required, this too can befitted to the GBS in-dock on pre-installedframes which are deployed once the GBSis sited.Operation and maintenanceMajor re-fits, upgrades and severedamage maintenance on the units can befacilitated onshore by re-floating the GBSand bringing it back to port; replacingimmediately with another WTG.Reduced long term costs andrecyclingThis system will result in the reductionof long-term maintenance cost and willensure that over time the design life on allcomponents could be maximised in full.Concrete structures are also benign insea environments and have a very longdesign life. However, if required they canbe re-floated and returned to port cheaplyin order that the WTG and GBS can beeconomically recycled, leaving no legacyimpact on the seabed.Sustainability without subsidyGBS technology is almost certainly crucialfor the long-term sustainability of windfarm development further offshore and indeep water.Large wind farm developments could, inthe very near future, be commissionedquickly and economically far offshore.They even raise the possibility of greenenergy without subsidy!David BoneOcean Resourcewww.oceanresource.co.ukClick to view more infoAbout Ocean ResourceOcean Resource is skilled in the design and development of Gravity Buoyant Structures (GBS) for OffshorePlatforms, Tower Structures and large (4000 tonnes) Oil Field Control Buoys. Ocean Resource-designed GBSs of upto 25,000 tonnes have been operational in the North and Irish Seas for more than twenty years.04 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 05

INDUSTRY NEWSINDUSTRY NEWSIT’SOU!ALL ABOUTQueen’s award forthe third time inthree years!SMD has been honoured with the prestigiousQueen’s Award for Enterprise in theInnovation category in recognition of thedevelopment of its specialist subseatrenching technology.The Wallsend-based company previouslywon a Queen’s Award for innovation in2011 for its work-class remotely operatedvehicles (WROVs), which was followedup last year with the presentation of aQueen’s Award in the International Tradecategory for its growing presence andsuccess in global markets.Technological innovationSMD’s latest Queen’s Award recognisesthe innovations the company has madeto its subsea trenching and ploughingequipment to create a suite oftechnology suited to offshorewind and offshore powercable installation.Three product rangesOriginally developed for subsea cableinstallation for the telecommunicationsindustry, SMD spent five years developingits technology to create three productranges applicable to different soilconditions and vessel requirements.The company is one of the world’sleading manufacturers of remoteintervention equipment, which is operatedin hazardous environments across theglobe and its trenching technology isbeing deployed on a number of importantenergy sector projects.CollaborationAmong the advances in this field has beenthe creation of the QTrencher range. SMDhas worked closely with Reef SubseaPower and Umbilical Ltd to develop theQTrencher 1000 (QT 1000).The QT1000 is a free-flying ROV jettrencher, which can operate in waterdepths up to 2000 metres andin a variety of soil conditions.In addition, SMD’s first Q-Trencher 1400(QT 1400) has been developed for FugroSalt Subsea. This model has the ability tosupport post-lay burial of power cablesand low lines and is able to operatein hard clay environments using highpressure jetting systems.DedicationAndrew Hodgson, Chief Executiveof SMD, said: “Securing a hat-trickof consecutive Queen’s Awards istestament to the innovative engineeringtalent we have at SMD who areconsistently challenging themselvesto develop new and more effectivesolutions that meet the requirements ofthe industries we serve.“Our dedication to continual innovationhas enabled SMD to become a worldleader in subsea intervention technology.The increasing activity in the globalenergy sector, particularly the offshorerenewables market, is creating newopportunities for technology-led supplychain companies that can deliverinnovative solutions to ensure theeffective installation and operation ofoffshore assets.“This latest Queen’s Award reflectsour achievements in this field and weare very proud to be again recognisedby these very prestigious and highlyregardedawards.”SMDwww.smd.co.ukClick to view more info= Click to view video06 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 07

INDUSTRY NEWSINDUSTRY NEWSAdvancedROV forModusModus Seabed Intervention, theleading subsea engineering andspecialist Unmanned UnderwaterVehicle (UUV) service provider, hasconfirmed an investment into anew advanced Remotely OperatedVehicle (ROV) to further enhance itsfleet of subsea vehicles.Step change technologyManufactured by SMD in North EastEngland, the cutting edge 150hpQuasar ROV ordered by Modus will bethe first work class system in operationin the industry, which utilises stepchange technology in advanced autofunction and control.This offers greater performance,efficiency and environmental resilience;targeted for deployment in highcurrent areas experienced in offshorewind farms as well as oil & gas fieldsfor survey, construction support,inspection and maintenance of subseainfrastructure.First in its fieldDarlington-based Modus will be the firstoperator in its field to deploy the stateof the art Quasar ROV which featuresthe advanced functionality developedby SMD in conjunction with SeeByte.SeeByteThrough the integration of technologyfrom subsea vehicle software specialistSeeByte, this latest generation ofSMD’s DVECS-S control system,enables pilots to perform operationswith increased accuracy and reliability,which helps reduce task-basedoperational costs combined withoffering greater versatility andminimised risk.Offering a range of precision auto positioncontrols, this system will enable greateraccuracy in ROV positioning throughoutthe water column, including high currentreactive control.The new spread is currently in productionand will join Modus’ fleet of CS(Construction Support) ROV systems inthe third quarter of 2013.State-of-the-art ROVs and AUVsThe company operates a fleet of state-ofthe-arttrenching and work class ROV’sand AUV’s (Autonomous UnderwaterVehicles) and is actively involved in marinetrenching, survey, IRM and constructionsupport operations across the world. Thenew technology will be the ninth vehicle inModus’ fleet and confirms its standing asa leading provider of universal UnmannedUnderwater Vehicle services.Lee Rosby, Sales Manager for workclass ROVs at SMD, said: “ModusSeabed Intervention is a valued and longstanding customer of SMD and we aredelighted that they will be the first totake the new SMD DVECS-S AdvancedVehicle Control System to market.“Packed with a host of features theAdvanced Vehicle Control Systemallows the pilot to fly and position theROV with greater speed and accuracywith less pilot workload and greatermission repeatability. Advancedflight modes such as auto-position,navigation map trail, cruise-control,advanced waypoint tracking, chartoverlay, auto fly follow and survey areincluded in SMD’s DVECS-S system.”Improving efficiency andreducing operational costsJake Tompkins, Managing Directorof Modus Seabed Intervention, said:“Driving leading edge technologyis key to improving efficiency andreducing operational costs and thislatest generation ROV is a significantmove towards this objective.“We are very proud to be the firstcompany to deploy this step changein construction support technology,which will enhance the operations andservices we deliver to our customersin the offshore renewables and oil &gas sectors.”Modus Seabed Interventionwww.modus-ltd.comRES celebratesQueen’s Award forEnterpriseRES becomes the first renewable developer to win a Queen’s Award forEnterprise in the International Trade categoryRenewable Energy Systems (RES),one of the world’s leading independentrenewable energy project developers,recently celebrated being awardedthe Queen’s Award for Enterprise inthe International Trade category. Thisprestigious award is in recognition of RES’extraordinary business success in growingrevenues from international markets and isthe second Queen’s Award RES has wonsince 2005.Over 100 wind farms worldwideRES has developed and/or constructedmore than 100 individual wind farmsaround the world with a combinedcapacity of nearly 7,000 MW. Of this,more than 5,800 MW is in North America,over 600 MW in the UK and approximately800 MW across the rest of Europe.Expanding marketsSuccess in established wind powermarkets has enabled RES to expand intonew markets and has recently achieved itsfirst sales in Canada, Sweden and Turkey.Overseas sales have increased by 352%over the last six years, 80% of which arefrom North America. The company’ssuccess has been driven by its ability toact quickly and decisively when marketconditions are right, adapt to changingmarket conditions and structure itsportfolio of developments accordingly.Dr. Ian Mays MBE, Chief Executive Officer,says: “We are absolutely delighted withto win such a prestigious award. Asshown by our increased sales and staffnumbers, RES is a true British successstory and we feel that this is a testamentto the policy environment in the UKwhich, over the past two decades,encouraged investment in renewableenergy and allowed a new business toexpand to significance on a global level.We hope that this type of environmentwill continue to nurture organisations likeours in the future.”RES Groupwww.res-group.comClick to view more info08 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 09

Chapter1Introduction1.1 Tourism and BiodiversityTourism is one of the world’s fastest expanding industries, perhaps the biggest on the basis of itscontribution to global gross domestic product (GDP), the employment figures it generates especiallyin developing countries and the number of clients it serves. The scale of the industry and the rate atwhich it continues to expand presents both opportunities and threats for biodiversity conservation andmanagement.Biodiversity is the key to human development. It is of paramount importance not only due to the goodsand services it provides, but also due to the fact that an estimated 45% of the global economy is basedon biological products and processes. However, on a global scale biodiversity is being lost at a ratemany times higher than that of natural extinction. This is caused by a number of factors, principallyunsustainable resource use, climate change, pollution, uncontrolled land use patterns, invasive speciesand unsustainable harvesting of natural resources. So great is the concern over the rate of decline anddegradation and its implications for human socio-economic welfare, that biodiversity was identified asone of the five priority areas for the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development.Tourism is increasingly delivering some funds for conservation and providing local communities withan economic incentive to protect biodiversity. On the other hand, tourism also opens the way to newand potentially damaging forms of development such as over consumption of natural resources, lackof consultation with local communities, mining, logging, environmental degradation, exploitationof cultures and labour, human rights abuse, consumerist use of wildlife and high foreign exchangeleakages. Clearly, the relationship between tourism and biodiversity is not always positive particularlywhen tourism occurs without proper management standards and guidelines in place designed topromote biodiversity conservation and deliver tangible benefits to the local community.© 2010 World Tourism Organization – ISBN 978-92-844-1340-9

successful Women in Windsuccessful Women in WindSharonMainprizeWhen I left school I went to collegeand worked towards achieving myBTEC National Diploma in Businessand Finance. Once achieved, I thenwent onto working with finances at alocal Building Society and worked myway up the ladder and stayed therefor 10 years.I got together with my husband, Bob Mainprizein 2001 and we got married in 2004.Our company2004 was a busy year for us as we alsobought out the family business, MainprizeTrawling Company Limited (now re-namedas Mainprize Offshore Limited). We ranthe business side by side. I took on thefinances and shore based roles andmy husband continued to go to sea ascaptain.Massive changeIt was a huge change around to mynormal day to day routine and comfortzones. It was a challenge which Ithoroughly enjoyed, and as the businessgrows, the challenges just keep coming.Women andWind EnergyWhen WISTA-UK (Women’sInternational Shipping and TradingAssociation) started investigating thetopic and the relation and involvementthat shipping ladies could have on thewind industry, we realised that windenergy is a subject not widely known,and when trying to relate wind energyand women, the involvement of womenis not impressive and practically nil.Open doorsWomen have been successful in theshipping industry, and demonstrate theircontribution to the sector. Now the doorsare open for women to enter the windenergy world. Within the members ofWISTA-UK, we have lawyers and logisticspecialists, as well as naval architectand engineers, biologists, environmentalexperts to name a few. The wind energysector needs experts and can offer goodopportunities for professional women in thisindustry. Women need to be attracted andcaptivated.Growing into offshorerenewablesWe decided that our offshoreexperience, dedication andattention to detail could beused in the offshore renewableindustry and therefore decidedto commission 3 vessels. A 17mSouth Boats design followedby an order for two 25 metreTeknicraft design vessels, all builtat the Buckie Shipyard. The overallinvestment totalling over £5 million.We also moved into new officesand have taken on staff.Offshore windThe Dalby Derwent, 17 metre South Boatsdesign, went straight on to charter withDalby Offshore Limited on the GreaterGabbard site, and has since workedon the Prinses Amalia Wind Park and iscurrently working at the Kentish Flats.Continued growthWe are soon to take delivery of theMO1 a radical 25m Teknicraft vesselwith some quite unique capabilities.It is a very exciting time for MainprizeOffshore Limited as we are taking on themanagement of vessels, delivery of newvessels and expanding our operations tooffer clients a one stop shop for a growingnumber of operations.MentoringHere is where mentoring will play a pivotalrole in attracting talent and leadershippotential for women as the industrydevelops.In the ranks of WISTA-UK we have,among all our members, two veryimportant members, dealing withenvironment and climate changes, butinternationally the list grows. However, thewind energy sector will also benefit withthe presence of specialised lawyers, navalengineers/architects, and logistic expertsthat will interface in wind energy projects.ProjectsRecently we read of two majorheadlines in shipping, onewas how a mast for a yachtwas built in Spain and sentby plane to Hong Kong, theother was how a shipbuilder inTurkey diversified by buildingand exporting masts for windenergy. Throughout the energysector there will always bea place and a partnershipopportunity between scienceAnd a family…We now have two children, Mollie andJack who are 6 and 4 years old. I loveto spend time with my family whetherit be fine dining, days out, holidays orjust relaxing a little at home. Running abusiness, and a family home, unfortunatelydoes not give you a lot of time forrelaxation!Sharon MainprizeMainprize Offshore Limitedwww.mainprizeoffshore.co.ukClick to view more infoand shipping/logistics and of course,ideally we should have women involved.Women of WindIn the USA there is even an organisationdevoted to women and wind, so yes, thebottom line is, women are involved in thewind energy, directly or indirectly, butthere is a need for more opportunities,mentoring and programs that will helpmore women to develop and contributeto the sustainability, the environment andsocial responsibility that the wind energyindustry offers.Maria Dixon - PresidentWISTA-UK www.wista-uk.netPersonality of the year award 2012 presentedto Katharina Stanzel fifth from leftWomen In WindGetting a little more personalWe hope you have enjoyed the variousarticles so far within this feature.Regular readers will have noticed thatwe are a more personal publication thanmost and feature ‘A day in the life of…’which highlights some of the professionalswho work more at the sharp end of theindustry.Our ’20 Questions’ feature delves moreinto what makes the more prominentfigures tick who in many ways help toshape the industry and are not worriedabout sticking their heads above theparapet!When the editorial team decided tohighlight our Women in Wind we wantedto make it even more personal so you willfind a very mixed variety of articles as wellas a mix of Qs/As throughput the rest ofthis substantial feature.Interview with Tammy Fisher...The first of which is a young lady whomwe met some time ago in East Angliaworking for the very successful companyTidal Transit – we knew then that atsome time in the future there would be avery good reason to bring Tammy to theattention of the rest of the industry as ashining example of what can be achievedthrough hard work and dedicationDescribe what you doI crew on a transfer boat working for TidalTransit. Working on the boat there’s 1Skipper and 2 Crew. Between me and theother crew we share the responsibilities ofpassenger care, transfer from the boat toturbines, boat safety and the day to dayrunning of the boat such as ensuring theboat is ready for sea, sorting the ropesout when mooring up, maintenance andcleaning.A little bit about yourbackgroundI have grown up in North Norfolk in afarming and fishing family. When I leftschool I continued to study a nationaldiploma in game and wildlife. I enjoyed2 years on a charter fishing boat whichintroduced me into wind farming.How do you see your future?I would like to think that one day I will beworking on my own farm with a family ofmy own. In the near future I see myselfcontinuing to work for Tidal Transit gainingas much experience and life skills aspossible.Your opinion on the role ofwomen in the wind industry?I feel that a woman’s role in the windindustry is the same as a male role. Thedifference is in the numbers, as not manywomen are aware that there are jobsoffshore available.With the few women working in windfarming I feel they have to continuouslyprove that they’re capable and as able asa male worker. With wind farming being amale dominated industry it can be hard toget a job out there.There are a growing number of companiesout there who open their doors to maleand female workers in the office andoffshore. I am grateful to Tidal Transit forgiving me the opportunity.Just a few more questions…Describe your typical dayWe start the day by checking the vesselsengines, tidiness and safety equipment.When the passengers arrive I show themour safety brief. I offer them a baconsandwich and drink. When the boat’sleaving port we tidy the ropes away.When in transit we keep an eye on thepassengers ensuring they’re happy and findout what they have planned for the day.Arriving at the wind farm I go to the bowand make sure the passengers havecorrect PPE on and complete a safetransfer up the turbine. When they’reready to come back down I count themdown the ladder when it’s safe to do so.On the way back to port we tidy the vesselready for the next day and make sure weare all fast alongside the pontoon afterrefuelling.What annoys you the most?When the weather is poor and unable towork due to safety restrictions.What was your best holiday?Majorca as it was my first time on aholiday abroad as an adult.Who would you not like to be?Somebody unable to work.What is the best advice you haveever been given?Don’t fall in!What is your favourite smell?Fresh rain in the air.What do you do in your sparetime?I like to volunteer at a horse yard when notworking my spaniels.What 3 words would bestdescribe you?Motivated, reliable and talkative!Where would you like to be 10years from now?I would like to be working on my own farmsomewhere in the UK.Tammy FisherTidal Transitwww.tidal-transit.comClick to view more info= Click to view video16 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 17

successful Women in Windsuccessful Women in WindClaire Cooper MEngSenior Project Manager & BusinessDevelopment - H&Askham LtdExperienceI was well equipped to undertake the roleof Project Manager for H&Askham Ltd asa result of both professional and academicexperience. I have a well-roundedknowledge of electrical installation systemsand submarine cables from my trainingat the prestigious BICC Cables and PirelliCables (now Prysmian) in addition tothe completion of a Masters Degree inMechanical Engineering.The companyH&Askham is a high voltage electricalinstallation company who have, over thepast three years, extended their portfoliofrom land based projects to become awell established name in the offshore windmarket, both in the UK and Europe.As we launched a division to focus solelyon the Renewables Energy market my rolewithin the organisation evolved to workclosely with the Director of Engineeringto specifically look at the businessdevelopment in this area.We have have gone from strength tostrength in the offshore wind marketand I am proud to be part of the teamresponsible for securing and executingcontracts for a number of projects. Theseincluded Thanet Offshore Wind Farm,The London Array Wind Farm, and morerecently BARD and Borkum West II WindParks in Germany.Exciting futureI believe the Renewable Energy Markethas an exciting future ahead and Iam currently working on tenders andcontracts for a number of other projectsfor H&Askham to further enhance theirresumé and continue to develop my ownknowledge and skills in this area.Passion and beliefI firmly believe in the cause of therenewable energy market; beyond this mypassion for engineering drives me to workand contribute to notable causes suchas renewable energy, so that companieslike H&Askham can succeed in theseendeavours.Britain is famous for its engineeringprowess; however in recent years witheconomic turmoil in industrial sectorsand strong competition from abroad,even projects taking place within Britainhave been dominated by overseasorganisations.This in spite of the domestic marketand skills pool being able to deliver,the products and services are beingoutsourced. H&Askham were a smallcompany that, through commitment andthe delivery of excellent services, wererecognised by some key players in theoffshore wind supply chain to be an assetto their projects.H&Askham has now built on thesefoundations and our reputation precedes us.Continued growthAs the organisation continues to grow itis my wish that we serve as an exampleto other companies in Britain of what canbe achieved, and that the barriers to entryinto this booming market should not befeared. Now an integral part of the supplychain we consciously endeavour to,where possible, source local labour andproducts for our projects. This ensureswe play our part in the development ofthe communities and environments wework amongst, in turn ensuring that thecontribution this industry provides to oureconomical revival is widespread.OpportunitiesI am greatly enjoying the opportunitiesworking for H&Askham has given me.Being part of a growing industry isexciting and it is inspirational for there tobe such a ‘buzz’ and renewed interestedin engineering, manufacturing anddevelopment of new technologies.Engineering – a career choiceThroughout my studies year on year Isaw a fall in the number of students forapplying engineering related courses.As a result I have always been ardent inpromoting working in this field to others.This perhaps is also attributed to havingmy family roots in engineering, with myfather running a small manufacturingcompany, that I have also workedfor. It was from my experiences at AREngineering Industries that I first becameactively involved with purposefully workingto encourage young people to considerengineering as a career choice.Apprenticeship schemeFor AR Engineering I launched anapprenticeship scheme and have sincecontinued to regularly visit schools andcolleges to give talks and presentationsabout the wide scope of opportunities theengineering industry has to offer.A woman in engineeringIn particular though I believe it is veryimportant to focus on raising awareness ofthis field amongst women. From leavingan all girls secondary school I entered intoa male dominated environment. I wasn’tfazed by this, engineering had alwaysbeen part of my life, and so, I was actuallyvery surprised to find how few women Iwas now studying and working alongside.I am now often called upon for my opinionand comment as a woman in engineering,which reinforces to me the idea that Istill retain a ‘novelty’ value in the field. Itis my hope that this situation will oneday become redundant; that increasingnumbers of successful female engineerswill cause questions about gender in theindustry to become obsolete.SuccessThe teams and companies that succeedin any field are those based on theintegration of different ideas and attitudesthat both compliment and cause rethinkingor re-interpretation.Engineering has always attracted mebecause it is a field based on possibilityand potential, on problem solving andthought, and the area of Renewables iscertainly no exception. I remain proudof my achievement in this field, andof Engineering as a whole, where theopportunity for success can be extendedto all individuals, man or woman.H&Askhamwww.handajointing.co.ukBe someone whomakes a difference“Be someone who makes a difference”– a direct quote from Fiona Marshall,winner of last year’s WISE award forenterprise and innovation, is a greatway to inspire young women and girlsto go into engineering.ResearchResearch on young people’s careerchoices shows that girls want creative andcaring jobs.A campaign selling opportunities to beinvolved in green energy solutions to helpsave the planet will capture their attentionand imagination more than a campaignto persuade them to study physics, tochoose a technical apprenticeship orstudy engineering at university. The UKneeds to get more girls doing physicsand taking engineering qualifications, butthe numbers have not shifted significantlyfor a generation, so it is time for a newapproach.Strong appealWind power and renewables in generalshould have a strong appeal to girlsbecause they offer a solution to climatechange - a global problem. As a growthindustry, the job prospects and opportunityto be at the forefront of new technologiesare also very positive selling points.As an organisation WISE would love towork with the inspiring women featuredin this magazine and others like them tochange the image of engineering so thatit becomes a more aspirational careerchoice for girls, and for their parents andteachers, whose influence can be critical.Growing databaseWe has a growing database of youngfemale role models working in science,technology and engineering, who arepassionate about what they do and wantto inspire more girls to follow in theirfootsteps. We have developed a flexiblesuite of activities and structured discussionsessions to get girls of all ages inspired byscience, technology and engineering.These sessions are designed to supportrole models, STEM ambassadors andothers delivering STEM outreach andengagement. We are also working onresources which teachers can use in theclassroom to open up discussion aboutgirls and science, supported by a one daytraining programme. We would love tohear from industry partners who would liketo collaborate with WISE to roll out theseresources across the UK.Our visionWith your support, we can increase thepipeline of female talent coming into yourcompany and into science, technologyand engineering sectors as a whole. Ourvision is to increase the proportion ofwomen doing STEM roles in the UK to30% by 2020. An ambitious target, giventhe current percentage is just 13%. Wecan’t do it alone – only by harnessingthe energy and passion of all those whobelieve that female talent could give asignificant boost to UK industry will weshift the dial in the right direction.WISE membership gives you access to agrowing network of like-minded people ineducation, industry and the not for profitsector to share ideas, good practice anddevelop projects together.Be someonewho makes adifferenceNominations for a WISE AwardNominations for the WISE Awards 2013are now open. The awards, whichcelebrate female talent for women andgirls at all stages of their career in science,technology and engineering, will bepresented at a high profile evening eventon Thursday 14 November 2013 at theScience Museum in London.More information on the web site:www.wisecampaign.org.ukWISEwww.wisecampaign.org.uk/getinvolved18 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 19

successful Women in Windsuccessful Women in WindKaren ShepherdGeneral Manager, HOTA (HumbersideOffshore Training Association Ltd)LocationHullTime at Company22 years 10 monthsPositionGeneral Manager – appointed 1st January2013Career OverviewI started at HOTA as a courseadministrator at the age of 20 as one of 2members of permanent staff, the job wasmy second ever, the first being YTS atHouse of Fraser Group.At the time HOTA was located in HullCity Centre in small rented offices andall training was provided by third parties– Hull College and Humberside Fire &Rescue Service.Company expansionAfter just two years I moved with thecompany to Malmo Road, Sutton FieldsIndustrial Estate as HOTA expanded andbuilding began for its own dedicatedsurvival training centre.Promotion and furthereducationI was promoted to Office Manager andconvinced by my General Manager,Linda Ellis to study for a Higher NationalCertificate (HNC) at Beverley College.I never thought I would go back intoeducation but I also never envisaged theinfluence of a strong minded boss!And again!After my HNC andmuch persuasion Iwent on to take adegree in BusinessManagement at HullUniversity BusinessSchool in 2002,graduating in 2005and becomingHOTA’s BusinessDevelopmentManager shortlyafter.BusinessdevelopmentMy responsibilitiesdeveloped as HOTA expanded and Ibecame actively involved in businessplanning adding further training to HOTA’sCourse portfolio including EmergencyResponse and Electrical alongside Lindaand specialist instructors.When Linda made the decision to retireI was appointed General Manager byHOTA’s Board of Trustees and officiallybegan the role January 2013.New appointmentLinda was not only my boss but also myfriend and most importantly my mentor;her’s are definitely big shoes to fill!I worked with Linda for over 22 years so Iwill miss her dearly however, I know she willalways be available to offer advice wheneverI need it, especially as since retiring she hasjoined HOTA’s Board of Trustees.Planned focusMy plans for the first year as GeneralManager are focused on the furtherexpansion of HOTA’s three sites in Hull,this will include the renovation of anadditional unit at Malmo Road.Although training has been provided tomany companies operating in Renewablesincluding Onshore and Offshore Wind -2013 will see Renewables Training addedas a major training stream for HOTAalongside Offshore, Maritime, Health &Safety and others.Career HighlightBeing a part of an intimate team withina small company which has continuedto grow dramatically over the years isdefinitely the highlight of my career andlong may it continue.Our customersHOTA’s customers range from individualswho are brand new to a specific industrythat have never been to Hull before letalone HOTA – for example a magiciangoing to work on a cruise ship in theCaribbean to large multinational companieswho have used us since day dot.The variety day to day is definitely myfavourite part of the job which is apparentthrough the type of training provided andalso the customers we deal with. AlthoughI am now officially HOTA’s longest servingemployee I am still learning new thingswhich I love as it keeps me on my toes!RelationshipsOver the years I have built some greatrelationships with customers andcolleagues some of which I have beenworking alongside for more years than I’msure any of us would care to remember.Typical dayOn a typical day I am in the office from7.30, and although I am an early riser thefirst thing I do has to be to make a cup ofcoffee.After checking my emails I like to havea catch up with my team to check thatall is well, as from 9 a.m. my time is notmy own and my office can be likened toPiccadilly Circus, dealing with anything frompersonnel issues and planning submissionsto signing off on my ‘Successful Womenin Wind’ profile and rubbing shoulders withcelebrities including HRH Princess Anneand David Jason.Free timeI am very passionate about my holidaysmy latest being my honeymoon to CapeVerde in April. Having recently married(December 2012) I am still enjoyinganything that does not involve weddingplanning.Although I will strongly deny it I am adefinite shopaholic but if my husband asks- I do need everything I buy!Karen ShepherdHOTAwww.hota.orgAmy GibsonDescribe what you doI am vessel crew on Eden Rose, one ofTidal Transit Ltd’s Windfarm PTVs. Mytypical day starts with daily checks suchas engine oil and coolant levels, first aidequipment, fender condition and generalsecurity and cleanliness.From then it’s my job to take care of ourpassengers for the day, give them a safetybrief, make bacon butties and cups of tea,transfer them onto the turbines and helpto crane up their equipment.During the day it is my responsibility toensure that transfers take place safely andwithout incident. I ask the passengersfor their turbine numbers for the day andwhich order they would like to work in, thisinformation is communicated to the skipper.Once our day’s work is done,we clean the vessel and preparepaperwork for the following day.We also perform regular safetydrills and checks on all areas ofthe vessel to ensure that we stayon the ball and are confidentto deal with any situation thatmay arise in a safe and efficientmanner. We check all safetyequipment and PPE on a regularbasis. We also perform basicmaintenance tasks as required.A little about your backgroundI grew up in North Wales and havealways been an outdoorsy type! Sinceleaving school, my career path has mainlyrevolved around horses, racing andhunting, evolving into equine sales.I have worked a few different salespositions and in recent years movedinto more managerial roles with a lot ofresponsibility. Before starting at Tidal TransitI had very limited maritime experience and ithas been a huge learning curve!How do you see your future?I can’t even imagine what I did beforethis! I would find it very difficult to go backto the 9-5 life. I don’t like to plan too farahead as I’m quite impulsive, having saidthat, when I make up my mind, I go for it!Right now, I am concentrating on gainingas many qualifications as I can relating tothe wind farm vessel industry. The onlything I can’t do a course for is experience,so I plan to get as much in as possible andbe as useful a team member as I can be.If you had a soapbox – whatwould you say?Go for it! For anyone wanting to get intothis industry, especially women, just giveit a go. It is a great, varied and often veryrewarding job. More needs to be done toencourage women into the industry wherepossible. I would like to see more fundingfor training in this industry and availabilityof government supported apprenticeshipsfor newcomers. There is a huge range ofskills to be learnt out here!Your opinion on the role ofwomen in the industry?This is one of those industries wherewomen on staff is a relatively newdevelopment. For that reason, it cansometimes feel like you have somethingto prove to defend your right to a positionover a male colleague. Thankfully, thisis rare in our modern society. TidalTransit currently employ two female crewmembers andwe both feel likean equal partof the team!I believe thatcompanieswho are a bitmore set in theirways, shouldconsider femaleapplicantsexactly as theywould a male.I feel that oneof the mainreasons that there aren’t more womendoing this job, is that they didn’t knowthey could do it. It is still a man’s worldoffshore, but that does not mean thaten equal opportunity is not available. Afemale crew member or skipper can be asvaluable as their male counterpart, giventhe chance.And a few more…What brought you into theindustry?I was initially offered my current positionby Adam Wright, one of Tidal Transit’sDirectors who I have known for 10 yearsand met whilst working in the kitchen ofa pub on the Norfolk Coast where Adamwas head chef.I came from an equestrian and cateringbackground with very little maritimeexperience. Adam said I would love thejob and it turns out he was right!Who is your hero and why?My Dad. He has always worked hard to giveus the best of everything and has alwaysbeen there to help in moments of need.He’s always ready with some sound adviceand support and has never been remotelyshocked by any of my career decisions!What annoys you the most?Cruelty to animals.What was your best holiday?Visiting my family in the French Alps,especially in the winter when I can ski withmy little brother and walk in the snowymountains.Who would you not like to be?Any celebrity, I value my privacy and can’tstand gossip!What is the best advice you haveever been given?Change what you can and accept whatyou can’t.What is your favourite smell?Freshly baked bread!What do you do in your spare time?Bake cakes, walk around the gorgeousNorfolk countryside, read, and spend timewith my friends and family.What/who is your favouriterecord/CD/artist/music?I love my iPod! I have such a varied tasteand it carries over 2,000 songs. There’sone to suit every mood.What 3 words would bestdescribe youDetermined, loyal and organised.What prominent person wouldyou like to meet?I was once told that you should nevermeet your heroes as you may end updisappointed.Where would you like to be 10years from now?Like most women, I would like to besettled and secure with a family of myown. If that doesn’t happen, I’d like to bethe best I can be in my chosen career.Amy GibsonTidal Transitwww.tidal-transit.comClick to view more info= Click to view video20 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 21

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTBUSINESS DEVELOPMENTHowimportantis yourhealth?We welcome Dr. Luke Melbourne to our Business Development section. It cannotbe argued that to manage and develop your business, your health is the mostimportant factor.Luke will be contributing regular articles and we hope you will find them both enlightening and helpful in your busyprofessional lives.On the questionnaire at thebeginning of my exam form itasks:How important is your health on a scaleof 1 to 10?Most people will write 10, there will bea few 9’s. The lowest I ever get, whensomeone is really honest, is an 8. These8‘s admit, at that time, work or childrenrank higher than their own health but stillthink health is important.Why are we so Unhealthy?We have all heard the saying; “YourHealth is your greatest possession.”And most people seem to agree with thatstatement when asked. We all know ourhealth is important. So why are we sounhealthy?The problem lies within the incongruenceof our actions and our words. We justdon’t LIVE it. We don’t follow through withour good intentions. We don’t embracea healthy lifestyle. In fact, many peopletreat their health with staggering levels ofdisdain and loathing.“When Health isabsent Wisdomcannot revealitself, Artcannot becomemanifest,Strengthcannot beexerted, Wealthis uselessand Reason ispowerless.”Herophilies (300 B.C.)They react to anyadvocate of healthas if they werezealots spoutingthe tenets of afascist regime fromwhich they must runand hide before theyare imposed upon themagainst their will. It is aninconvenience, a burden,a suffering best left to themasochists and those with toomuch time on their hands. When I goout and give talks to groups I will oftenspend some time giving free consultations.At these events I am guaranteed to hearthe all too familiar words “No thanks, Ialready know there’s something wrong.”This saddens and frustrates me. Why aresome people so entrenched in their ownsuffering that they can’t even see the lightand shun it when it is offered them.My goalAs a Chiropractor this is the mentality Iam up against on a daily basis. My goalis to enrich peoples lives by helping themfind and achieve their optimal health. It isa purpose that I can be proud of and oneI love. So I have had to ask myself whywould some people rather get teeth pulledthan address their health?Changing people’s mindsThere are plenty of reasons that I havecome up with; lack of understanding,cynicism, disinformation, laziness, fear ofchange, disempowerment, impatience,stress, poor time management andprocrastination. When I sat back andcontemplated these points it didn’t takeme long before I realised that I needed todo more. I could not just sit back in myivory tower. Field of Dreams was wrong. Ifyou build it, they will not come.Don’t get me wrong, you can still havea busy practice helping those who arealready enlightened, but being busy isn’tenough and the ones who need it themost won’t show. Therefore I could nolonger wait for the world to change itspoint of view, I had to act. I needed toget off my backside and go out there andchange people’s minds. So here I amchanging your minds!The truemeaning ofhealthSo, over the nextfew months I willbe looking at whatHealth truly meansand I will attempt togive some persuasivearguments as to why youneed it. I will be guiding youto explore your relationshipwith yourself.To do this I will address the Trisectionof Health: The Physical, The Chemicaland The Emotional. We will look at eachtrisection, the effects of stress within thatarea, how it impacts upon you and waysto improve.My hopesI hope to Educate, Empower and maybeeven Excite. After all, if I asked “Do youwant to be wiser, smarter, stronger,more creative and wealthier?” shouldn’twe all, say “YES!” Remember this isyour LIFE we are talking about.Dr. Luke Melbourne MChiroAdvanced Health Chiropractic Clinicwww.chiropractor-harrogate.com22 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 23

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTBUSINESS DEVELOPMENTChangingtheFuturePart 2PainlessPresentationsat WorkIn Part 1- PerformanceConsultant and ConferenceSpeaker Frank Newberryexplored how we canchange the future oneperson at a time bycoaching and mentoringindividualsIn Part 2 Frank looks athow we can leave a positivelegacy by giving painlesspresentations at work e.g.at meetings of all types andeven conferencesIt may seem a strange statement- ‘changing the future’ by givinga presentation or speaking at aconference, but bear with me. Myclaim is based on the testimony ofpeople who have made statementslike ‘that presentation changed mycareer’ and ‘that talk took me to ahigher level’.Use your fears to inform yourapproachI am not talking here about professionalspeakers – I am referring to audiencemember responses to ordinary staffmembers who have had the courage toget up and speak up, and in doing sohave gone on to inspire their colleagues.So yes - I assert that you are changing thefuture - one audience member at a time.A good place for you to start whencontemplating doing what is effectivelypublic speaking might be - the fear andtrepidation that can grip us at the verythought of standing up to give a talk. Infact it might be interesting to use yourfears to inform your approach to givingpresentations in the workplace.I have been training conference speakersfor many years and not one has everclaimed that they got to their feet to speakwithout some anxiety. Some, including mestart getting nervous often days or weeksin advance!But like so many other things the moreyou do it the less you will suffer. Yourfears and anxieties may also go throughan interesting transition as you gatherexperience.Most speakers start out worrying aboutthemselves (Will I dry up? Do I lookOK?); they then transition or progressto worrying about their material (Is mycontent OK? Are my visual aids goingto work?). And finally they progress toworrying about their audience (Will I givethem what they need?).Prepare YourselfThis progression: Self – Material –Audience is not an illogical one and it canhelp you to prepare yourself and your talks… if you tackle them in reverse order. Firstfind out who will be in the audience andwhat their expectations of you are. Oncethis is known you can gather the data youneed to construct your presentation andthen finally you can make sure you lookgood and feel OK on the day.Most people in your audience want,perhaps most of all, to avoid sittingthrough a presentation where the speakergets embarrassed and messes up. Theywill have some concern and sympathyfor you as a new speaker but they wouldprefer to avoid witnessing your failure andhaving to pretend to you afterwards that itwas fine when it was not.It is vital then to spare your audience anyanxiety. You can do this by preparingwell and avoiding unnecessary risks. Forexample you might have a great joke youwant to tell. You figure that a good jokecan be a great start to a talk. It is howevera high return but a high risk option. If youabsolutely have to make a joke then makeone that is against yourself so that youraudience thinks you are mature enough tolaugh at yourself sometimes.A Simple StructureUse a simple structure to put across asimple message and confine yourself tojust three points. End with a ‘call to action’and keep the whole thing to 20 minutesor less. If 30 minutes or more is expectedof you then build in some participation ora question and answer session. There isa famous old quotation in praise of thebrevity of presentations. It goes somethinglike: ‘Stand up to be seen, speak up to beheard and sit down to be appreciated’.People will feel confident in you as apresenter if you use a simple structureand they will appreciate this even more ifyou make reference to it – for example. ‘Iwould like to begin by saying ...’; I wouldlike to move onto my first point now ...’and ‘In conclusion let me summarise ...’This technique (known as signposting) isthe most under-used one in presentationsand yet it makes the speaker sound logicaland professional. I recommend it.IntroductionYour introduction should indicate yourcontent, your objective and when in thetalk you intend to deal with questions fromthe audience. It helps if you can beginwith something topical and relevant to getpeople interested at the outset.Main PartAs mentioned above your presentationshould not have more than three points.You might have just one message butyou should seek to establish and reinforceyour message with no more than threepoints or examples. There is research thatsuggests that quoting three examplesis very persuasive. Any less than threeseems unconvincing and any more thanthree could well be seen as unnecessaryor a dilution of your key message(s).QuestionsIn my experience the best place forquestions is just before your conclusione.g. ‘Before I conclude are there anyquestions?’ This prevents any overenthusiasticquestioners from hi-jackingyour presentation at the end with irrelevantquestions and distracting comments. Letthem get it off their chest and then youcan summarise and conclude your talk.This way you will stand a much betterchance of restoring the audience’s focuson your key message(s).ConclusionHaving dealt with questions you cannow make your concluding remarksand summarise your main points foremphasis. The conclusion ought not tocontain any new material or surprises. Asimple and polite ‘call to action’ can alsobe very effective at the end, e.g. ‘I hopethat we will now be able now to make aninformed decision on this matter. Thankyou for your time’.Frank Newberrywww.franknewberry.com24 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 25

Research & DevelopmentResearch & DevelopmentTheNationalRenewableEnergyCentreWe are proud to introduce The NationalRenewable Energy Centre (Narec) as our sponsorsfor the Research & Development feature – thecollaboration could not be more fitting for bothourselves, whose aim is to help the industry inany way we can and Narec who have, since theirinception, developed a worldwide reputation as aground breaking research centre.This Research & Development feature will remain aregular feature in forthcoming editions so please do nothesitate in supplying interesting and innovative editorialfor inclusion.Collaboration is keyfor the offshore windsupply chainIt is widely acknowledged thattechnology innovation is essential todeliver lower cost and more reliableoffshore wind energy. However,one of the biggest barriers for newsuppliers into the offshore renewableenergy sector is their inability todemonstrate the financial andtechnical viability of their products.NarecNarec, located in Blyth, Northumberlandprovides the most comprehensiveopen-access test and research facilitiesanywhere in the world for the scale-up ofoffshore renewable energy technologies.These reliability, design verification andaccelerated life testing facilities (electricaland mechanical) have been built to meetdemand for the development of biggerturbines and bigger blades.They provide ‘sticky assets’ and asupportive environment to get newtechnologies ready for deployment sooner– these are extremely difficult to replicateelsewhere and anchor knowledge in theUK to help focus and cluster the supplychain here.De-risking projectsBy aligning their world-leadingindependent research, testing anddemonstration facilities to de-risk projectsNarec can encourage the supply chain inthe UK to scale up technologies sooner.Without a turbine assembly plant, theUK has established project deliveryexpertise in the engineering design,consenting and installation of offshorewind power systems. This is transferringknowledge from the offshore oil and gas,onshore wind, automotive, and electricitygeneration, transmission and distributionsectors.Multi-disciplinary teamNarec has a multi-disciplinary teamof scientists and engineers who workalongside project developers, utilities,major manufacturers, universities andinternational research centres for bothcommercial projects, and UK andEuropean funded R&D programmes.Track recordOver the past ten years, Narec hasdemonstrated a track record of successby initiating and delivering European andNational collaborative R&D projects whichthey have implemented to encourageand drive forward innovation in the supplychain. By solving technical challengesand creating new industry benchmarkstheir projects are extremely importantin achieving an upscale in technologies,supporting market entry for new productsand services and reducing developmentand deployment timeframes of offshorerenewable energy technologies.ProjectsSix projects have been approvedwhich address key technical challengesassociated with the offshore wind supplychain,Examples include…• Offshore wind turbine foundationfabrication• Condition monitoring of windturbine towers and blades• The development and automatedapplication of protective coatingsfor the design life of wind turbinestructuresEuropean RegionalDevelopment Fund (ERDF)Narec has also secured funding fromthe ERDF to deliver two programmes -The National Wind and Marine TestingFacility Programme and RenewableEnergy Technology AcceleratorProgramme (RETA) to support SMEsin North East England moving into theoffshore wind and marine renewableenergy supply chains.Technology transferworkshops and advisoryservicesAs part of these projects, companiescan engage in a series of technologytransfer workshops and advisoryservices to help them to developtheir products and services. This issupported by an online resource toencourage collaboration, improvemarket intelligence and to help identifyfuture business and funding calls.In the manufacturing supply chain,medium sized engineering companieshave successfully partnered with non-UKcompanies developing new turbines forthe UK offshore market. Others havemade long term investments in plant andare supplying the current round of nearshoreoffshore wind farms being installed.Regional Growth Fund WindInnovation ProgrammeNarec’s success in building partnershipsand collaborations across the UK andEurope was further recognised in thesecond round of the Government’sRegional Growth Fund with the award ofthe £11 million Offshore Wind InnovationProgramme.After preparing the bid, the organisationwill now manage the programme which isbringing together offshore market leaderswith world-class technology providers andacademia in the UK.Narecwww.narec.comNarec online resource linkwww.renewables-innovation.co.ukClick to view more info26 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 27

Research & DevelopmentResearch & DevelopmentLifting the barrier to windfarm radar objectionsCould recent advances in radarmodelling expand the development ofwind farms worldwide?Reflections from rotating turbines cancause false plots on radar displays. Thismeans that thousands of wind turbinescannot be built because of potential radarinterference.Accuracy limitationsComputerised assessment tools can showwhether a radar is likely to be affected by awind turbine. Accuracy limitations of mosttools often means that wind turbines areunnecessarily objected to. There is ampleevidence to suggest that some modellingtools are over conservative.Online software developmentsRecent significant developments in PagerPower’s online software have included highresolution piecewise modelling, advancedterrain elevation algorithm, blade speedweighting and calibration. This increasesthe accuracy and reliability of assessments.Modelling and calibrationModelling has never been known tosuggest turbines won’t be detectedwhere the turbines have in fact beendetected. Conversely modelling hasshown that turbines will be detected andyet they have not affected the radar oncebuilt. Calibration is important because itconnects the modelling with real worldobservations.Calibration involves assessing operationalwind turbines and comparing thepredicted radar impact with the observedradar impact. The sensitivity of the modelis then adjusted so that the predictedimpact matches the observed impact.The best turbines for calibration are thosethat are detectable to radar by a smallmargin. In these cases false plots appearoccasionally and, in the case of analogueradar, video images are small. Calibrationindicates that modelling by some radaroperators is over conservative (betweenapproximately 10 and 20 decibels).Improvements to modelling should leadto more turbines (and taller turbines)becoming acceptable to radar operatorswithout technical mitigation being required.ExperienceThe Pager Power team has been workingwith wind developers and radar operatorsto identify, assess and resolve technicalproblems since 2002. We deliver aworldwide service and are proud to saywe have worked on 24% of wind turbinescurrently operating in the UK.Pager Powerwww.pagerpower.co.ukClick to view more info= Click to view videoConcrete GravityFoundationsRound 3 wind farm developments arelargely in deeper waters and furtheroffshore, with a mixture of seabedtypes. The different environment willrequire the deployment of alternativefoundation solutions to those that theUK market has predominantly used todate and alternative designs will needto be considered.The Concrete Centre, on behalf of theInterest Group for Gravity Foundations– Offshore Wind, has commissionedresearch projects to support the proprietaryresearch of the group’s solution providers.Carbon studyCommissioned by The Concrete Centre andcarried out by Arup and Vinci Construction,the study estimated the carbon footprint ofthe raw materials and other resources tobe used in the construction of a concretegravity foundation to support a 5MW turbinein 42m deep water.The study also includedconsideration of…• Transportation of materials to amanufacturing/construction facility• Resources used in the construction ofthe manufacturing facility• Resources used in the manufacture ofany bespoke vessels used forinstallation• Resources used during installation ofthe foundations• Resources used during maintenanceof the foundations• Resources used during deconstructionof the foundationsin Europe is produced almost entirelyfrom recycled materials, whilst this studyassumed that steel plate would beused for a steel jacket. Further detailshave been published in CONCRETEmagazine, and a pdf of the article can bedownloaded from the micro page usingthe link at the end of this article.Environmental impactassessmentCommissioned by The Concrete Centreand carried out by Marine Space, thestudy reviews the marine environmentalconsiderations for concrete gravityfoundations (CGF), including comparisonto foundation alternatives. The studyexplores the environmental effects andpathways associated with the variousphases of the lifecycle of CGFs in themarine environment including…• Ground preparation(if required)• Emplacement on the seabed• Scour protection (if required)• DecommissioningReview findingsThe review found that CGFs have anenvironmental footprint at the seabedsimilar to other deeper water foundationsolutions. The advantage of CGFs overalternatives is the lack of significant noiseemissions generated during their installationand emplacement. With increasedrequirements for consideration of noise inlegislative controls, underwater noise willbe a primary consideration for deepwatersolutions for Round 3 developments.Study findingsThe study found that the average carbonfootprint for six different concrete gravityfoundation (CGF) solutions was estimated tobe 1,190 tonnes CO2e per 5MW unit (with arange of 708-1,597 tonnes CO2e per 5MWunit). This compared with an estimatedcarbon footprint for a steel jacket solution of2,770 tonnes of CO2e per 5MW unit.The key driver for the difference in thecarbon footprints was the quantum andtype of steel within the different solutions.The concrete foundations incorporatesignificantly less steel than the steel jacketsolution. Moreover, reinforcement steelis used in the concrete solutions, whichCGFs solutions require no piling orhammering for installation, allowingmitigation of one of the major environmentalimpacts associated with offshore windfarmconstruction. This is both beneficial to theenvironment and mitigates a significantplanning/programme risk.The Concrete Centrewww.concretecentre.com/windClick to view more info28 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 29

Research & DevelopmentResearch & DevelopmentInnovationWhere technologymeets the seaSmartBay Ireland is anot-for-profit companyfunded under Ireland’sHigher EducationAuthority to facilitatethe development ofinnovative approachesfor the collection anddissemination of marinedata and the testingand demonstrationof novel sensors andequipment.InfrastructureThe SmartBay infrastructure consists of asuite of commercially available technologyplatforms including a network of buoys,sensor hardware and data communicationsystems.CollaborationSmartBay Ireland is keen to collaboratewith researchers, innovators andentrepreneurs, to develop R&D projectsand proposals. Partners can useboth SmartBay’s physical and cyberenvironment to collect data and todevelop, test and demonstrate newsolutions for marine and related sectors.Marine SupportThe SmartBay technical team canprovide innovative Marine Support andICT solutions to support users of theinfrastructure. Within Galway Bay, oceanenergy developers can utilise SmartBayinfrastructure and marine support servicesto validate prototype devices and collectdata during deployments.The Marine Institute, Sustainable EnergyAuthority of Ireland (SEAI), Hydraulics andMaritime Research Centre (HMRC) andSmartBay Ireland have sourced fundingthrough Science Foundation Ireland (SFI)to install 4km of subsea cable to the testand demonstration site.SEAI Ocean Energy Test SiteThe test and demonstration site will belocated at the SEAI Ocean Energy Test Sitesituated in Galway Bay. SmartBay Ireland willmanage the facility, which will include twoundersea research nodes with 400v powerand high speed data communications via 10pairs of optical fibres.The nodes can host a complement ofclient sensors which can be tested anddemonstrated in near real time. A powerbuoy will also be installed at the site whichwill provide power to and dissipate powerfrom prototype Wave Energy Converters(WECs).John BreslinSmartBaywww.smartbay.ie30 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 31

COMPANY ProfileCOMPANY ProfileResearch,developmentand adviceconsultancyDouglas Westwood has been atthe forefront of researching theoffshore wind sector and beenadvising on market prospects since2002. They have a comprehensiveknowledge base of all renewableenergy sectors through marketanalysis, strategy work, anddiligence covering offshore wind,onshore wind and tidal energy.Company approachThe company offer both off the shelfreports and commissioned consultancytailored to individual clients’ requirements.Their approach is to analyse industrydrivers, show growth forecasts, reviewtechnology status, outline the competitivedynamics and compare regional markets.ClientsTheir clients have included projectdevelopers, original equipmentmanufacturers (OEMs), componentmanufacturers, installation contractors,vessel owners, investors, and relevantgovernment departments.Project examples• Development of scenarios for UKoffshore wind installation from2015 to 2030 and analysis of resultantrequirements for hardware andinstallation services. Policyrecommendations were made with theaim of maximising UK economic benefits• Commercial diligence in relation to amajor investment into the creation of anew European wind turbinemanufacturer. Diligence includedmarket forecasting, supply chainsurvey & analysis and managementreview• Working on behalf of a foundationmanufacturer, DWL were engagedto analyse potential competitorsand suitable manufacturing locationsfor advanced tripod and jacketoffshore wind foundations• Market analysis for a vessel ownercovering key categories includingsurvey vessels, wind turbineinstallation vessels, heavy-liftvessels, and maintenance vessels.Recommendations provided on themost attractive categories based onmarket sizing, and commercial factorsOffshore Wind Market ForecastThe consultancy is about to launch theOffshore Wind Market Forecast, now in its5th Edition.In this report they provide a new long-termview of the sector through to 2022, andoutline that offshore wind spending is setto average almost €15 billion per year overthe next ten years.Key components of the reportare…• Drivers – a discussion of factors drivingoffshore wind installation activityincluding low carbon targets, risingenergy demand and the need toreplace power generation capacity• Commercial insights – includinganalysis of cost pressures on capital,life-time costs, risk factors and typicalfinancing models• Technology Review – and R & Dpriority areas• Supply chain – a review of the mainplayers, strengths & weaknesses ofcontracting strategies and supplychain development challenges• Ten-year market forecast – for newcapacity, capital expenditures,operating expenditure, wind turbines,support structures, cabling,substations and vessels• Country analysis – detailed operational& capital expenditure forecasts, alsoby capacity and segmentDouglas Westwoodwww.douglas-westwood.comED’s Note This is an abridgedversion - we recommend you readthe full text via the link at the endof article.Click to view more info32 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 33

developments in foundation technologydevelopments in foundation technologyHonorary degrees forindustry leadersDevelopmentsin FoundationTechnologiesIntroductionThe next generation of offshore wind farms being developed in the North Sea will moveout into deeper, more hostile locations. Due to the sheer size of these wind farms,a robust, proven solution to the foundations is crucial. So far, most of the so calledoffshore wind farms have been nearshore in shallower waters where the majority (66%)of foundations are simple monopiles. But even these have not been without majorproblems. The logistics of these nearshore wind farms should have been relativelystraight forward, but experience has demonstrated otherwise.Deeper Waters will require different foundation types (courtesy of Ramboll)Lessons not learnedA phrase often used in most walks of lifeis ‘lessons learned’ ie learning from ourpast experiences to avoid making thesame mistakes again. In an offshore windproject, a simple mistake or error can bereplicated hundreds if not thousands oftimes. Getting the solution right first time isvital, especially for the future deeper water,further from shore wind farms.Harsh weather conditions inthe central North SeaSo far, the offshore wind industry hastended to view the offshore oil & gas asexpensive, with plenty of cash to spendand waste. The term low cost solutionbeing the exception rather than the rule.This may be true to a certain extent largelydue to the commercial pressures to getthe oil & gas out of the ground.However, this view has cost the offshorewind industry dearly by not learning thelessons already paid for by the offshore oil& gas industry. A lot can be learned fromover 40 years of offshore experience.View from the outside!On the opposite side of the fence, the oil &gas industry views some of the problemsencountered by the offshore wind industrywith disbelief.The failure of the grouted connectionbetween the transition pieces andthe monopiles is a classic case. Thesubsequent repairs costs have led tolitigations and also a partial undermining ofconfidence for investors (and the public) inoffshore wind.Steel qualityUsing steel from the Far East was seen asa good cost saving approach but withoutproper quality control and surveillance toensure quality meant that the deliveredproduct was not fully compliant. Thiscaused delays, expensive remedialworks and litigation. The importance ofquality steel for use in oil & gas platformswas learned many years ago and strictcompliance controls and surveillance arecommon place in the industry.Options and selection ofmaterials and equipmentThe selection and deployment of concretegravity bases in areas of shifting sandbanks has cost one developer a largeamount of money. To their credit, thedeveloper abandoned further use ofconcrete gravity bases and switched tosteel jacket structures with great success.Interestingly, for such a close to shoreand relatively shallow development,monopoles were not used due to theseabed conditions and the scouringeffects which would undermine them. Itwill be interesting to see which foundationsolution is adopted in the neighbouringwind farms now being developed.The poor suitability of some crane vesselsused for the offshore installation phaseshas now been shown up in quite a fewoffshore wind farm developments. Byselecting crane vessels that are severelylimited by the sea conditions has led to anumber of cases of extended installationdurations and even the use of veryexpensive Heavy Lift Vessels from the oil &gas sector as a last resort. Most of thesedecisions have led to expensive time andcost overruns and litigation.If the experience of the groutedconnectionsdeveloped by theoil & gas industryback in the 1970& 80’s that formthe API Code (andthe BS Standardsof the day) hadbeen used thenthe problems withthe monopile totransition piececould have beenavoided. Thedesign parametersfor groutedconnections in thecurrent API Codeare based on theDECC and EUfunded researchcarried out by Wimpey Laboratories.(THE STRENGTH OF LARGE DIAMETERGROUTED CONNECTIONS by Colin J.Billington, Wimpey Laboratories Limited,OTC 1978)Lessons can still be learnedOver the past 40 years, the offshoreindustry developed a fleet of constructionvessels ranging from diver support throughto heavy lifting capabilities. The experienceespecially in crane vessels has a greatdeal to offer to the burgeoning windindustry. The offshore wind industry hasidentified a large shortfall in crane capacityrequired for the offshore installation andsubsequent maintenance phases. Thetrend so far has been the construction ofjack-up type ship-shaped crane vesselsthat are able (or claim to be able) to installfoundations, towers, nacelles and blades.In effect jacks of all trades, but masters ofnone. The limitation of these vessels hasbeen all too painful to see. Selecting theright type of vessel for different offshoreoperations will help to reduce exposure torisk and drive down costs.A typical jack-up type crane vessel for installing jackets,towers and nacellesDeveloping foundations that are based onthe experience of the oil & gas industrywill lead to cost reductions and avoidthe pitfalls of expensive mistakes. Themajority of foundations worldwide in oil &gas are steel jackets with just a handful ofconcrete gravity based structures.34 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 35

developments in foundation technologydevelopments in foundation technologyThe role of InnovationThere is an ever-increasing view thatInnovation will lead to large savings inthe cost of foundations for deeper waterprojects. A great deal of funding is beingprovided by the likes of DECC and theCarbon Trust to develop innovativefoundation solutions to drive costs down.The danger is that the search for theultimate will defer decisions or worst stillwill result in adopting solutions that are notsuitable for the harsh conditions found farout in the North Sea.Cost analysisSome developers view the cost of thefoundation in isolation, believing thatmaking a marginal saving on steel weightwill make a significant impact in the overallinstalled cost. This approach exposesthe developer to unpredictable offshoreinstallation risks and cost escalations.A better approach is to view the installedcosts of the foundation separately tothe tower and nacelle as they have theirown unique criteria laid down by theturbine manufacturers. You can knock asteel jacket about during installation butcertainly not a turbine. The foundation andthe turbine require different installationvessels type and such an approach willreduce installed costs.By developing foundation solutions thatextend the offshore installation weatherwindows will also reduce the costsand also the overall number of vesselsrequired.Novel solutions = potential increased risks.Currently there are a number of deeperwater wind farms in Europe that are beingdeveloped using steel jacket foundationsrather than monopiles. In parallel there aremany novel solutions being proposed fordeeper waters but this represents anotherarea of potential risk.Floating structuresFloating type structures appear to be astraight forward and obvious solutionbut they carry a significant operationalrisk. Offshore oil & gas has around 20floating production platforms (FPSOs)deployed in the North Sea, all havemooring integrity issues and some havesuffered major mooring failures. DrillingRigs too have suffered similar issues andfailures. Over the past 10 years the HSEhas implemented a rigorous, expensiveinspection regime the cost of which hashad to be absorbed by the oil companies.The question is can the marginal windfarms OPEX sustain such costs with largenumbers of moorings being proposed?It is well known in the oil & gas industrythat mooring systems in waters of lessthan 100 metres experience tensionwaves in the mooring lines increasing therate of wear and tear.CorrosionCorrosion is also a concern. For example,let’s assume a site located in 60m waterdepth with say 200 turbines supported ona floating structure secured by six mooringlines and anchors. This amounts to1200 mooring lines each a potentialfailure point; this is far in excess ofthe number of FPSO mooring linescurrent deployed in the North Seaand represents a significant threatto the operational viability of thehypothetical wind farm.The turbine manufacturersplace very strict verticalitycriteria for the installedtowers and this is atodds with the floatingconcepts which will move around withthe sea conditions amplifying horizontalaccelerations high up at the nacelle.Novel ideas and innovation have theirplace and role to fulfil but they need tobe firmly placed under the microscopeand fully risk assessed using the valuableexperience of the oil & gas industry.The role of IndustrialisationThe majority of foundations for offshorewind turbines have, up until now, been of amonopile design. These are comparativelysimple structures with the only realdesign variable being the diameter andwall thicknesses of the pile. Hence whenconsidering theconstruction of suchitems it is fairly easyto apply known andwell proven automationtechniques to thehandling and welding ofthese structures. Themove of offshore windfarms into deeperwater will ultimatelynecessitate a moveaway from monopilefoundations to morecomplex structuressuch as latticeframework jackets,which have nowA moored floatingwind turbinesupport structureDeeper waters and novel solutionsbeen used in a small number of locationsaround the UK and European waters.These jacket foundations have been usedby the offshore oil and gas industry formany years and involve the fabricationof many welded node joints betweenthe tubular elements that make up thelattice. To date, both in the oil and gasindustry and in the offshore wind industry,these complex joints have been primarilyconstructed by manual welding methodsand are therefore a long and costlyprocess. If such structures are to be usedin large numbers in the offshore windindustry then such manual fabricationmethods cannot prevail, neither in termof cost nor that of capacity. There simplyaren’t enough large fabrication facilities inEurope to meet the demand for jacketsusing traditional fabrication methods. Noris the wind industry able to pay for suchexpensive production methods.Mass productionWhat is needed in the industry is a moveaway from the ‘artisan’ approach of‘bespoke designed’ and ‘hand crafted’jacket to a much more ‘industrialised’ and‘mass production’ attitude.This ‘industrialisation’ must start withthe design of the jacket. They have tobe designed with ‘low cost’ productionin mind. It isnot enough toproduce elegantdesigns that arevery efficient in useof steel, nor onesthat are cheapto install. Theyalso need to beeasy and cheapto manufacturein large numbers.The winningjackets will bethose that canhit the ‘sweet spot’ between design,manufacture and installation.The Target must be to hit the ‘SweetSpot’In order for jackets to be massmanufactured they must be ‘predominantly’the same. This is despite the water depthand geotechnical conditions for eachwind turbine being unique. It is thereforenecessary to consider a jacket designwhere, say 80% of the jacket is identical fora given wind turbine. In this case many ofthe component members of the jacket canbe the same and production cells can beset up to cheaply and rapidly manufacturethese common parts. Similarly if thegeometry of the jackets is common, then‘standard’ fit up jigs and tooling can be usedto ensure that the lengthy process of jacketassembly can be substantially reduced. Inthe ‘standard methods’ of fabrication it iscommon for set up to take 80% of the totalfabrication time. This cannot be tolerated ina fully ‘industrialised’ process.Furthermore if we are to introduce roboticor automated welding and handlingtechniques then we have another driver forstandardised designs so the welding andhandling equipment does not have be setup differently for each jacket produced.Standard designs will also haveadditional advantages when it comesto transportation and installation. Seatransport grillages can be kept the same.Handling rigs can be identical. All theseperipheral items can add substantial coststo an offshore wind project.SummaryThe basics of mass production have beenused in other industries for years. We justneed to learn the lesson and adapt them sothat we can apply them to reduce the costof jackets for the offshore wind industry.To reduce the Levelised Cost of Energy toacceptable levels we need to attack thecost of wind projects at all levels.There is unlikely to be a single ‘silver bullet’that is going to save the day – much morelikely that we will achieve our target by ‘athousand cuts.’Graham KennedyOGN Aquindwww.ogn-group.comClick to view more info36 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 37

developments in foundation technologydevelopments in foundation technologyHonorary degrees forthe demands of Round 3 Wind Farmsindustry leadersConcrete Gravity Foundations can meetThe Round 3 sites, leases for whichhave been awarded by The CrownEstate, are much further fromshore and in considerably deeperwaters than the earlier wind farmdevelopments. Hence the locationand depth of the sites provide aconsiderable challenge to developers.This challenge requires the adoptionof alternative solutions as the systemsthat have been utilised up to nowin relatively shallow waters, are notsuitable for these new sites.Gravity foundations, concrete shells thatare placed on the sea bed and thenballasted, provide the engineering solutionto enable the Round 3 developmentsto be successfully constructed. Thebenefits of concrete gravity foundationsfor the water depths under consideration,20m to 50m, are that they are extremelydurable and provide a solution whichis both economic to build and deliversconsiderably reduced maintenance overthe life of the structure. Additionally thesefoundations are placed on the sea bed,thus eliminating the environmental issuesassociated with piling.Part of the solutionThe design, construction and installationof the bases is all part of the solutionthat is offered to developers. In additionmaintenance and removal processeshave all been taken into considerationin the development of gravity basesolutions. The solutions offered areeither self-buoyant, where conventionalvessels are needed for the transportationprocess, or are buoyancy assisted wherea customised vessel is required to assistwith transportation and installation. In bothcases the foundation is ballasted, once inposition, with sand or gravel which ideallywould be available from a nearby location.A little help please…At present I am a second year PhDstudent at Leeds University BusinessSchool studying Logistics andSupply Chain, with a particular focuson the UK offshore wind industry.I graduated from Hull UniversityBusiness School in 2011 with anMSc in Logistics and Supply ChainManagement.PhD focusMy PhD focuses on the strategic reductionof offshore wind supply chain costs. Itaims to identify cost structures in theindustry, track down the major cost driversand discover links between supply chainmanagement practices and the costincreases.concrete gravity foundationmanufacturers co-locating onport facilities in the North Eastof England.The aim is to reduce totaldelivered costs of foundationsthrough…• Minimising movements ofmaterials and products• Minimising the number of timesmaterials and products are handled• Reducing the number of individualmaterials and product storagelocations• Reducing the logistics costs ofmaterials, products and peopleConcrete Centre interest groupinitiativeThe contractors within the interestgroup have designed and developedsystems which enable the foundationsto be launched, transported to siteand then installed with the minimumof potential downtime due to theadverse weather conditions. They haveplanned facilities which will enable thesimultaneous construction of multiplefoundations, similar to concepts adoptedfor car production. This application ofmanufacturing efficiencies will help deliverthe cost savings that the government,energy providers and energy users arehoping for from renewable energy.Positive responseThere is no doubt that the challengesof Round 3 will require both innovativesolutions and a full commitment from thewhole of the associated supply chain. Theconcrete industry through the interest grouphas shown that it has responded positivelyto these challenges and is ready to deliver.The Concrete Centrewww.concretecentre.comClick to view more infoIn building this dynamicperspective and incontrast to other formsof data collection thatfail to fully understandwhy issues occur, thestronger the level ofparticipation the strongerthe knowledge base willbe, allowing me to betterarticulate and fully forma coherent case that willoutline key areas for costreduction in the industry.I am now seeking collaboration with majorOEMs, 1st – 3rd tier suppliers, and UKenterprises. Can you help me?Patrick HennellyInnovativegravity basefoundationthroughteamworkRoyal BAM Group and Van OordOffshore Wind projects have teamedup to design, manufacture and installreinforced concrete gravity basefoundations (GBFs) for the offshorewind industry.ExperienceThe innovative hybrid concept for the GBFhas been developed using BAM and VanOord’s wide experience of designing andconstructing immersed tube tunnels andgravity base structures. The basic GBFsolution has been specifically designedfor deep water applications and hasundergone model testing. It is adaptableto suit a range of water depths, waveheights and sea bed conditions.Self-buoyantThe GBF is designed to be mass producedonshore in a quayside construction yardusing BAM’s core skills in reinforcedconcrete construction. Beingself-buoyant, it is then towedout to sea using standard oceangoing tugs.Marine worksOnce in position the GBF issubmerged under closelycontrolled conditions on apre-prepared sea bed. Rockarmour is then placed aroundthe base to afford protectionagainst scour and the structureis ballasted with sand. All marineworks are carried out by VanOord using vessels from theirown fleet. The GBF structureis then ready to receive thetransition shaft and turbine,mounted on the central shaft.AdvantagesThe hybrid solution has many advantages,including…• Adaptability to a wide range ofmetocean conditions and turbineloadings• Low centre of gravity, giving goodstability when towing• Towed into position using standardtugs, obviating the need for costlyspecialist vessels• Simple steel to steel connectionbetween shaft and transition piece tothe turbine• NDV design certification achieved forthe concept• All required vessels available withinVan Oord’s fleet• Short weather window required forinstallation• Competitive cost• High use of local materials and locallabourRoyal BAM Groupwww.bam.euVan Oord Offshore Windwww.vanoord.comCentral to my research is understandingand developing buyer-supplierrelationships, in particular, from thesupplier’s perspective.Concrete gravity foundationsI am currently working on a projectthat aims to assess the benefits forEngagement with the industryMy research engages with issues that arerelevant to the UK offshore wind supplychain. The tools utilised throughout myresearch focus on capturing and buildingcurrent and dynamic perspectives throughdirect engagement with key stakeholdersin the industry.Ed’s NotePlease email our editorduncan@greenenergypublishing.co.ukand we will pass your contact detailson to Patrick. In helping him we aresure you will be helping the industry.38 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 39

developments in foundation technologydevelopments in foundation technologyFoundationconcept meetscustomerdemandsPeikko introduces a revolutionarydesign tool to enhance theirFoundation ConceptAdvanced design toolsThe aim is to optimise the selectedsolution for a customer within onebusiness day. Design innovation ispossible because Peikko uses advanced3D design tools and integratedconfigurations. Once completed, designscan be exported to customer and used togenerate rebar schedules, Bill of Quantityand component blocks.SpecificationsAnchors in Grade 8.8, 10.9 & FATBARcan be used. Peikko’s post-tensioningFatBar bolts have European TechnicalApproval (ETA-10/0246) certificationFor large towers the use of FATBAR(which affords a capacity 20% higher thanGrade 10.9) and is specifically designedfor fatigue loading and is instrumental inachieving economies.Foundation protection in the long termApril 2013 saw the installation of the5th monopile at the DanTysk offshorewind farm, located 70km off theGerman coastline.International Paint has been chosen toprovide the high performance protectivecoatings that ensure the foundations thatsupport these structures, which reach148 metres above sea level, are protectedfrom corrosion for many years to come.Design lifetimeWith turbine design lifetimes in excess of20 years, it is vitally important that the rightcorrosion protection is chosen to helpminimise expensive and time consumingmaintenance and repair work.Industry standardsAdhering to an industry standard such asISO 20340 can help guide the selectionof protective coatings, but choosing acoating system with a proven, real lifetrack record offshore is absolutely vital.Working togetherInternational Paint was selected as thecoating supplier for the foundationsfor DanTysk by Smulders Group,headquartered in Helmond, TheNetherlands. The two companies havea strong history of work on offshorewind projects and it is confidence inInternational Paint’s coatings range whichSmulders found attractive.Customer specificationFor corrosion protection on DanTysk,International Paint’s Interzone® 954 isbeing utilised. Interzone 954 is a lowVOC, high solids epoxy coating which cangive long term protection in a single coat.For DanTysk two coats of Interzone 954were utilised, overcoated with an aesthetictopcoat, in line with the customerspecification.Harsh conditionsThe harsh conditions offshore place hugedemands upon protective coatings, testingtheir ability to withstand the highly salineenvironment and mechanical damagefrom impact. Interzone 954 is particularlyversatile and has been proven throughsuccessful long term, in-field performanceto meet these challenges in immersed,splash zone and also atmosphericconditions.Future collaborationSmulders and International Paint will beworking together on a number of upcomingoffshore wind farms, giving extensiveprotection to these high value assets.International Paintwww.international-pc.comSmulders Groupwww.smuldersgroup.comBuilding on its experience since the 1990sin the supply of Wind Turbine foundationanchors the Peikko Group has recentlydeveloped an advanced design tool foronshore wind turbine foundationsServing the industryWith the new design tool and procedurethe company is able to better servewind turbine manufacturers, wind farmdevelopers, investors and engineeringoffices by quickly and economicallyevaluating foundation options.The conceptThe foundation concept comprisesintegrated design of the anchor cage,with rebar cage coupled to a central hubto produce a foundation which reducestonnage of rebar and the volume ofconcrete.The cost-effectiveness and reliability ofPeikko’s foundation solution is a result ofextensive R&D work alongside wind turbinemanufacturers and engineering partners.Integrated approachThis integrated approach has proved tobe a cost-efficient and advanced solutionwith supply to projects with turbinesmanufactured by (for example) Alstom,Hyundai and Vestas.Peikkowww.peikko.co.uk= Click to view video40 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 41

developments in foundation technologydevelopments in foundation technologyNorwegianoffshoreexperiencebenefitsthe windenergyindustrySesam software revolutionisedthe offshore industry with its finiteelement methodology when it wasbrought to the marketplace more than40 years ago.Reliability coupled withpioneering technologyIt has through the years combined stablereliability with pioneering new technologyfor strength assessment of offshorestructures. DNV Software’s Sesam Windsolutions bring together decades of DNVexperience, both in the offshore industryand in the global wind energy industry.Integrated design analysisand structural integrityassessmentStrength analysis of offshore windturbine structures needs to accountfor the combined effect of wind andhydrodynamic loads. The systemintegrates design, analysis and structuralintegrity assessment, covering the entirelifecycle of a structure. Its fully-coupleddynamic analysis of an integrated windturbine system is unique.This includes wind turbine, substructure/foundation and environment loadsincluding fatigue and ultimate strengthanalyses of the substructure. It can alsoaccurately model the complex transitionstructure between the wind tower and thesupporting structure. The software can beutilised during various phases of the windturbine’s lifecycle, from design throughinstallation to operation and maintenance.Covering all aspectsThe system allows wind turbine structuresto be designed for every depth, fromshallow water monopiles to tripods andjacket structures as well as concretegravity based structures for larger depths.This is done with one single model andwithin one complete system coveringall aspects of offshore installations,with imports from other systems easilyintegrated.The Sesam Wind Coupled Analysismodule for all wind turbine components ispowered by FEDEM Windpower. FedemTechnologies – a player in the windindustry based in Trondheim, Norway –has entered a partnership with Oslo-basedDNV Software.DNV Softwarewww.dnv.co.ukFedem Technologieswww.fedem.comE.ON places majorjacket contract withHarland and WolffEnergy company E.ON has awarded the contract fordesign and fabrication of the Humber Gateway offshorewind farm substation jacket to Harland and Wolff HeavyIndustries Limited.E.ON, one ofthe UK’s leadingpower and gascompanies,is developingthe 219MWoffshore windfarm, located8km off theEast Yorkshirecoast, just northof the riverHumber. Whencommissioned,HumberGateway willbe able toprovide enoughpower forapproximately170,000 UKhomes.Scope of workThe Harland and Wolff scope of work comprises the design andfabrication of the substation jacket (foundation) and piles, totallingcirca 1,300 tonnes. The jacket will be completed, ready forinstallation Q1 2014.Working relationshipHarland and Wolff Chief Executive Officer Robert J Coopersaid “We are delighted to have been awarded this importantcontract. After a long series of successfully completedoffshore wind projects, Harland and Wolff are determined tocontinue demonstrating that we are the construction partnerof choice.” He continued, “Harland and Wolff enjoy a greatworking relationship with E.ON, having worked previously onthe Robin Rigg offshore wind farm together. We’re lookingforward to continuing to develop this relationship.”E.ON Project Manager Matthew Swanwick said, “HumberGateway is a significant step in our strategic aim to delivercleaner and better energy, by offering innovative energyservices and technologies. Generating wind power out at seais a real technical challenge, both during the construction andoperational phases of projects, and that is why it so importantto work with reliable and experienced fabricators. Harlandand Wolff is a well-proven supplier and we look forward to asuccessful project.”The Humber Gateway is due to be completed in 2015.Harland and Wolffwww.harland-wolff.com42 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 43

developments in foundation technologydevelopments in foundation technologyReducingthe costs ofwind farmjacketsthroughsteeloptimisationOffshore wind turbines are playing anever-increasing role in governments’aims to continue transitioning to a lowcarboneconomy. Renewable energy isone of the most cost effective methodsof producing power in the long run,once the capital costs of the initialdesign, manufacture, assembly andinstallation have been reconciled.Expanding developmentsThe UK is committed to producing 15%of its energy from renewable sourcesby 2020 and to meet this demand,manufacturers are continuously strivingto produce wind turbines with increasingpower outputs. Wind farms are beingdeveloped in larger numbers, deeperwaters and further offshore and thisalmost inevitably requires a move awayfrom monopile construction to otheralternatives.Structural designWith a long-standing presence andsignificant technical expertise in the globalrenewable energy and power sector, TataSteel has reviewed the factors affectingthe structural design of offshore windturbine platforms, which is a significantpart of the initial capital expenditure, andhas invested in new routes to supporteconomical serial jacket production.With targets for cost per kilowatt-houralready set, Tata Steel has looked athow to minimise all the incidental costsincluding manufacturing, installing andmaintaining an offshore wind turbine toachieve cost effective solutions.Standardisation andcollaborationDesign and assembly standardisationwill be important in ensuring economiesof scale within the sub supply chain.Small deviations from manufacturers’optimised steel tube sizes add significantadditional costs. Collaboration betweenthe designer, fabricator and steel supplierwill be required to ensure design integrityis optimised while maximising processefficiency and minimising costs.Displacing the current supply of bundlesof individual tubes by steel suppliers withcomplete point-to-point assemblies willenhance fabricator throughput. Paintedassemblies, incorporating pre-preparedmachined ends, will enable swift assemblyand welding by fabricators.Local supply and supply chainco-operationThe speed of local supplier reactivity withenhanced service level capabilities andreduced delivery lead times can enhancefabricator production efficiency andmitigate the potential for late deliveries.Additionally, moving high-density materialsis expensive, so local supply offerseconomic benefits.Co-operation with the wider supply chainis crucial in meeting the Government’saims for renewable energy. Steelmanufacturers can define the tubularmanufacturing process so large quantitiescan be produced at one time. They canalso customise the process, and supplytubulars that are prepared for fabricationinto finished structures. Preparation workincluding cutting-to-length, welding, shotblasting, coating and end-profiling helpshorten throughput times and improve costefficiency for customers, who can source allsteel components from a single supplier.Minimising costsTata Steel is confident that if the industryworks together throughout the supplychain it can enable cost effective designand minimise manufacture assemblyand installation costs. The use of localsuppliers to minimise finance tied up instock and transportation costs can alsohelp to support economical serial jacketproduction.Tata Steelwww.tatasteel.comClick to view more info44 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 45

developments in foundation technologydevelopments in foundation technologyProven Hydra-Lok system makesits way to the wind sectorSince its incorporation in 1979,Oil States MCS’s pedigree andreputation, gained through supplyingservices to all the major oil and gasoperators, has contributed tothe company successfully securing amajor contract to install four offshoreplatforms located in the NorthCaspian Sea using its unique patentedHydra-Lok pile connection technique.The systemThe connection system was developed inthe 1980’s for securing subsea structuresto their driven foundation piles. Theprinciple behind the Hydra-Lok systemallows connections to be formed betweenconcentric tubulars through expansionof the inner tubular (foundation pile) tocontact the outer tubular (structure sleeve)by means of hydraulic pressure.Proven operationSince the development of this technologythe connection system has been used tosecure a large variety of offshore structurestypically including; subsea structures,deepwater offshore platforms and windturbine jackets. In a typical operation theoffshore structure is lowered to the seabedand foundation piles driven through thestructure sleeve legs into the seabed.Once the piles have been driven to therequired penetration the Hydra-Lok swagetool is deployed subsea, inserted into thepile, and positioned within the structureleg such that the swage tool seals spana grooved region of the sleeve leg. Theswaging process starts with the inflationof the two axiallydisplaced seals on theswaging tool, whichseal against the insideof the pile creating apressure tight annularchamber of wateraround the tool.Pressurisation of thiscaptive annulus bypumping in watercauses the pile toexpand outwardsinto the sleeve, asan analogy it can becompared to inflatinga balloon inside acardboard tube untilit contacts the tubewall. The connection isdeemed to be completewhen the pile has beenexpanded and theannulus pressure hasreached a predetermined value. Uponreleasing the annulus pressure the outersleeve contracts onto the pile to create aninterference fit.Specifications and challengesSwage tools are available to formconnections on standard pile diametersizes ranging from 24 inch through to 84inch. You need to appreciate that the sizeof the swaging tool used to accommodate84” diameter piles has a weight of 105tonne, a diameter of 1.8 metres andoverall length of 9 metres.To install the four structures on the NorthCaspian project the company will mobilisea total of 4 swage tools, two 84” and two72” tools together with auxiliary supportequipment resulting in a combined weightof 400 tonne, which presents its ownlogistics and transportation challenges,all managed by Oil States MCS Limitedgiving the customer further confidenceand satisfaction.Inward investmentOver the past 12 months attributed to othersuccesses, the company has continued toinwardly invest and is currently looking toexpand its premises and workforce witha long term view of offering its services inother geographical regions.Oil States MCS Ltd, based on theSowerby Woods Industrial estate, Barrow-In-Furness, is an already established worldleader in providing structural swaged pileconnection systems for applications in theoil, gas and renewables industries.Oil States MCS Ltdwww.oilstates.comClick to view more infoMTL’sjourneyintooffshorewindIn 2009 whilst still located onDarnell Road, MTL Group Limitedwon a significant order to supplyBurnt Island Fabrication with48 boatlanding systems. Now aleading supplier to the oatlandingand offshore fabrication sector thiswas the beginning of the group’sjourney into renewables.GrowthAs MTL Group has grown so havetheir clientele, MTL Group hassupplied some of the biggest namesin the industry such as Aker solutions,Weserwind, Ambau and Tag withboatlanding systems.InvestmentThe group believe the key to thisgrowth is down to the large investmentin the latest state of the art machinery,in people and facilities.Robotic Tube CuttingIn 2009 the group recognised thegrowing demand for tubular structuressuch as Jackets and SubstationPlatforms. To meet this demand theyutilised their own employees’ skills andexperience to develop a Robotic TubeCutter.Capable of cutting steel tube upto 8 metres in length by 1 metre indiameter and adaptable to larger sizes.This machine saves the need to useexpensive inaccurate methods for “codmouth cuts” and applying weld preps.Using the machines bevel capability anextensive range of cuts can be appliedin seconds eliminating the need forhand grinding and using templates.Investment in PeopleWith the fabrication work force doublingover just a few short years so did theinvestment in this area, The group madethe decision to go ahead and invest intheir fabricators and welders accreditingthem with ISO 9001:2008, ISO 3834Part 2, Norsok M101, EEMUA 158,DIN18800-7 and FPAL making the MTLGroup ‘ready for round three’.Going DocksideAs the demand grew, so did the facilitiesand in early 2010 the group invested ina quayside facility at the Port of Blythextending their lifting capabilities to over300 tonne. All work such as fabricating,welding, shot blasting and painting canalso be completed on-site alongside nondestructivetesting and the capability toload on ship.HeadquartersMTL Groups Headquarters previouslybased at Darnell Road with afabrication shop nearby on KettleBridge Road in Sheffield were movedto a 28’000 hectare site in Rotherhamas part of a £5M investment allowingthe group to put all of their processesunder one roof making them a onestop shop for all fabrications which canbe transported by road.State-of-the-artUsing the groups state of the artprecision engineering facility inRotherham to process materials andthe Port of Blyth facility to fabricateand weld large structures MTL Groupcontinues to be a sustainable keyplayer in supplying boatlanding systemsto the United Kingdom and Europe.MTL Group Ltdwww.mtlgrp.comClick to view more info46 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 47

scour featurescour featureScourthe challengeFIG 1 FIG 2Scour around offshore wind turbinesand particularly over cables can bea significant problem. It is caused bythe water speeding up around or overan object, which then gouges out ahole which gets progressively deeper.CablesWith cables, once the scour hole isdeep enough, it will cause the cable tobe suspended in a ‘washing line’ effect,resulting in the cable developing microcracks, causing electricity to ‘leak’ andthe field to be shut down with generationincome lost whilst the cable is replaced.StructuresThis can be particularly acute at the windturbine itself where scour can exposethe j-tube and the emerging cable. Itcan cause structural integrity issues formonopiles by exposing the foundationand reducing its overall stability. This cancause excessive vibration of the turbineas it turns with the wind and in somecases can cause early fatigue of majorcomponents.Reducing riskOffshore energy generators work hard tomanage and reduce risk in all parts of theiroperation: from crew transfers to gearboxfailures, from blade repair to monitoringprocesses. Every aspect of the operationis constantly reviewed to identify ways ofreducing both risk to the infrastructure andrisk to staff. Scour is one of those potentialareas of risk, and one that the companiesspend considerable time monitoring,investigating and remediating.Scour Prevention Systems Ltd –innovative approachScour Prevention Systems, based atOrbisEnergy in Lowestoft, have developeda patented device to remediate andeliminate scour around structures andover cables.The system is a sedimentary entrapmentdevice laid over the cable. Researchhas shown that the ideal shape for theindividual nodes is that of a tyre. As worntyres are used, this has huge potentialfor turning a difficult to dispose of wasteproduct into a useful new one.The tyres work by adding friction to theseabed which in turn causes the passingcurrent to decrease in speed. This causessand sedimentsto fall and become trapped within the tyrespaces (see Fig 1).The tyres then act as a reinforcement layerlevel with the seabed and thus preventsfurther scouring. If excess sediment layson top of the tyres, the water flowing overthem will lift this excess off, creating a selflevellingskin (see Fig 2).Sea trialsScour Prevention has developed thesystem over the past three years andundertaken a number of tests. In mid-2012 it undertook sea trials with E.ON atScroby Sands off the Norfolk coast in anarea with high tidal flows and a particularlychallenging environment. With mean waterdepth of 6m, five mats were laid in a row,marked with anchors and buoys, and leftin situ for several weeks.The mats were surveyed every week andafter 7 months, after the worst winterstorms for years they hadn’t moved at all,proving they’d stabilised the seabed areawhere they were laid. This system is nowavailable commercially for other energycompanies and offshore installers to use intheir wind farms.Developing the Offshore WindSupply Chain ProgrammeScour Prevention has now securedfunding from the Technology StrategyBoard’s ‘Developing the Offshore WindSupply Chain Programme’ to undertakeoffshore trials of its tyre-mat solutionaround the base of an offshore turbineon a wind farm off the Norfolk coast withsevere scour.This latest trial is to demonstrate that thetyre-mats will stabilise the seabed aroundwind turbine monopile foundations therebyremediating and/or preventing scourholes. After being laid the mats will bemonitored for one full lunar month to verifytheir performance in the field.Maintenance Access and MatRemovalAt some point during the life of the windfarm it may be necessary to removethe mats to access the cable (and theywill certainly have to be removed whendecommissioning the site).The mats have beendesigned with this in mind. Briefly, themats are laid down in sections, and theirpositions recorded onto ‘As built’ charts.The mats are also fitted with polypropylenerope. If access to the cable is required, themat or mats covering it are identified andlocated.Whilst the forcesacting on the matwould make it verydifficult to lift (partof the reason for itsstability), by fittinga spreader bar tothe loops of rope atone end, the matcan be peeled (likea plaster) from theseabed, spilling thetrapped sedimentand reducing themass and forces asit goes: thus makingit much easierto complete theoperation.After the requiredO&M work iscompleted theremoved mats canbe replaced, allwithout disturbingthe other matsor significantlyincreasing the riskof scour in the shortterm. Additionally,decommissioning willbe more completewith the SPS matsbecause of this.ComparisonsBy comparison any rocks dumped willhave been washed away, and a reportpublished by IMCA October 2011highlighted that the removal of concretemattresses is proving problematical asthey tend to decay overtime, making themdifficult to lift effectively.Reducing Cost, Decreasing RiskThis novel approach to scour has theability to significantly reduce costs of scourremediation and protection. The solutioncan improve overall protection for cables,reducing maintenance cycles, and hasthe longer term potential to reduce relatedinsurance premiums through better controlof the cable’s immediate environment.Scour Prevention Systems Ltdwww.scourprevention.com48 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 49

scour featurescour featureEffective scourprotectionTeesside Offshore Wind farmscour protection projectMarske Site Services (MSS) has justcompleted specialist sea bed protectionwork on the Teesside offshore wind farm.EDF Energy Renewables appointed MSSof Stokesley, near Middlesbrough, to carryout the ‘scour protection’ of the steelmonopile foundations located 1.5km offthe coast of Redcar in the Tees bay.Project detailThe specialist underwater engineeringwork involved the placement of large netsfilled with loose stone around the baseof each turbine to offset any removal ofseabed sediment caused by wave andtidal movement.The Nylon and polyester filter bag is madefrom 61% recycled bottles and filledwith carburised limestone, to provide astable yet flexible structure that requiresno seabed levelling or dredging prior toinstallation.Environmentally friendlyproductThe product is environmentally friendlyand has been certified by FEPA (Food& Environment Protection Agency) andDEFRA (Department of Environment,Fisheries & Rural Affairs) and workseffectively to stabilise the velocity of flowaround sub surface structures preventingsuction and scour for ‘life.’The filter units create a porous structurethat is positioned on the sea bed toprotect it from the effects of scouring,whilst also allowing fish to circulate andcreating a new habitat for shellfish andother marine life.Installation techniqueFor this project, MSS used their uniquePatent-Applied installation technique.The company’s diverless installationmethodology is a viable and cost-effectivesolution for existing foundations withoutprotection where scour has been identified,or for foundations where the protection hasbeen washed away or has failed.For the Teesside project they installed amatrix of 4-tonne & 8-tonne capacity filterbags to provide coverage, flexibility andstability. It was important that the bagswere laid in a specific configuration, whichis due to the process which incorporatesvisual sonar imaging and a diverless remoterelease mechanism to ensure the bagswere positioned safely and accurately.Specialist subsea constructionvesselThe work was undertaken from the 7,000teDP2 Maersk Responder, a specialist subseaconstruction vessel which, due to the stableplatform and the high capacity it provides,enables this work to be continued aroundthe clock from a single vessel.The MSS Engineering team mobilised thevessel, coming up with a unique solutionfor safely transporting an extra-large loadof filter bags, which, combined with a 50%improvement in the time taken to completeeach monopile, resulted in the ScourProtection Project team completing theproject both safely and ahead of schedule.Team effortOn completion of the work the ProjectManager of EDF, Tim Bland, thanked theteam for the “brilliantly executed job.”John McCullagh, Director of MSS, said:“MSS is a Teesside company with aninternational business base; it’s great tosecure such a project on our doorstep!We employ many Teesside people andI would like to thank the whole team forbringing in this project safely, accuratelyand ahead of schedule.”Marske Site Services Ltdwww.marskesiteservices.co.uk3D visualisation technologyUnlike oil & gas, the renewablessector is still at a stage where largeparts of the supply chain, and welldefinedprocedures and practices, arenot fully developed.This fact represents an opportunityfor new technologies and innovativeapproaches – such as the 3D visualisationtechnology outlined here – to find theirplace and become part of the standardprocedure for effective operation &maintenance procedures in the futureImportant factorsADUS DeepOcean has engaged with anumber of UK windfarm operators in orderto understand their ongoing inspectionrequirements. There is an essential needto identify and monitor a number ofimportant factors which include…ScourAside from the danger of unsupportedcables, scour affects foundation stability.This technology effectively maps scour andpresents it in a fully metrical 3D visualisationfor a greater understanding of the problem.More importantly though this allowsdetailed monitoring over time, bycomparing successive datasets, andprovides the ability to accurately measurethe depth and overall dimensions of scouras well as the volume of material removed.of Mexico, and more recently, the strickencruise ship Costa Concordia in Italy andthe cargo ship Rena which sunk off thecoast of New Zealand.Building on its success, ADUS hasrecently begun to successfully deployits know-how and technologies in theoffshore wind and oil & gas markets,where it can be used to provide highquality 3D images of subsea structuressuch as offshore facilities, wind turbinefoundations and seabed architecture.ADUS DeepOceanwww.deepocean.noClick to view more info• Scour around the base of monopiles• Cable exposure on the seafloor• Movement of sand waves across thesite• Cable freespan• Cable tension• Cable bend radiusMonitoringThis 3D visualisation technology is directlyapplicable for the effective monitoringof these factors and can add value byincreasing opportunity, speed & qualityof data acquisition, and reducing use ofdivers and ROVs, whose tasks can involvethe manual measurement of these factors.The use of divers in such operations isoften problematic with down time causedby weather, but also the requirement onlyto dive during slack water periods.About ADUS DeepOceanADUS DeepOcean Ltd was formedin 2013 following the acquisition of a50% interest in ADUS by DeepOceangroup. Formerly Advanced UnderwaterSurveys Ltd, ADUS was originally a spinout from the University of St Andrewsand Dundee University and has rapidlyacquired a global reputation in the marinesalvage market for its stunning subsea 3Dvisualisations.The company is known for such highprofile work as the survey of the wreck ofthe oil rig Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf50 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 51

scour featurescour featureIdentifyingscour riskScour is a significant concernfor offshore wind developers andoperators, and considerable effort isdedicated to scour prevention andmonitoring activity. If scour develops, ithas the ability to dramatically weakenstructural stability, particularly for thecommon monopile foundation.It is therefore critical to identify thepotential for scour risk so that adequateprotection can be designed andimplemented. Scour is also problematicfor buried cables, and as cables accountfor another major cost it is equallyimportant to understand the nature of theseabed along the export cable routes.Prevention of scour throughoutthe life-cycleOsiris Projects play a role in the preventionof scour throughout the life-cycle. Preconstruction,this involves acquiring dataon the nature of the site, paying particularattention to characteristics associated withthe presence and extent of scour.They gather data on the nature of theseabed and water-column using a rangeof survey and oceanographic sensors,which is then evaluated by scourassessment specialists.Data analysedAspects such as the nature and mobilityof shallow sediments, sand waves, megaripples and wave and current oceanographicdata will be of particular interest. For sitesunderlain by marine clay, scour is rarelya serious issue, but for developmentssituated on unconstrained depths of sandysediments, scour clearly presents a severehazard.Effective techniquesThere are numerous innovative andeffective techniques employed specificallyfor the monitoring of scour, which supportyearly or twice-yearly detailed monitoringsurveys as stipulated by consenting andlicensing agreements.Operators must also plan for major stormevents, which can drastically adjust theseabed morphology. Osiris Projectsregularly performs post-constructionmonitoring surveys, typically acquiringhigh-resolution bathymetry which is thencombined with previous datasets toassess seabed movement.Volume analysisThe volume analysis technique is relativelysimple; overlaying new and previouslyacquired bathymetry shows the net changeto the shape of the seabed. This methodallows you to literally see the movement ofsandwaves between surveys, so not onlycan you monitor the extent of sedimentmovement around structures, but it is alsopossible to estimate the rate of change anduse this to predict the lifespan of any scourprotection in place.Cable depth monitoringFor cable depth of burial monitoring, theprocess is not so simple and there arevarious inherent challenges. The primaryrestriction is that the industry standardmethod of tracking the horizontal andvertical position of the cable is greatly limitedby range. This means the sensor must bepositioned close to the seabed and cannotbe towed from a vessel, it must be mobilisedto an ROV. Whether this is a traditionalfree-flying ROV or tracked crawler systemis irrelevant; the costs increase dramaticallywhen ROVs are involved.Significant cost and concernConsidering the volume of in-service andplanned subsea cables associated withoffshore wind, this is a significant cost.Another issue with mobilising ROVs to site isthe class of vessel required to accommodatethe ROV and personnel. Tracking a cablefrom substation to landfall using a vesselbased ROV method is problematic, as thesize of vessel required limits the ability totrack the cable in shallow water.Another concern is that not allenvironments are suitable for ROVs,particularly in shallow areas, and closeproximity to the seabed cannot alwaysbe achieved. For tracked systems, thisbecomes less of an issue as the route isengineered to accommodate the trenchingand jetting burial systems.Tracked inspection ROVOsiris Projects invested in a trackedinspection ROV in 2012 specifically toperform cable depth of burial surveys,and are currently considering designingour own bespoke crawler with enhancedcapability. Advances in cable trackingtechnology will undoubtedly bring towedoptions, but until then tracked ROVs offera suitable solution.GPS and DP technologySecondly, GPS and DP technology hassignificantly improved since the first offshorewind cables were installed, so the olderthe cable, the greater allowance shouldbe made for positional inaccuracy. Whileongoing and recent monitoring surveys giveaccurate positional information, conclusionsmade on the movement of the cable/seabedsince installation can never be made with100% confidence.SummaryIn summary, scour can be exceptionallyhazardous, and surveys are commissioned tocontractors such as ourselves to understandthe nature of the seabed and the potentialscour risk, while monitoring surveys givesnapshots which over time provide detailedinformation on the development of scour.Osiris Projectswww.osirisprojects.co.ukClick to view more info= Click to view video 1= Click to view video 2Remote Monitoring SystemsSupport Scour PreventionIn collaboration with University ofSouthampton, Kongsberg Maritime’ssubsea experts in the UK and sonarspecialists in Canada have designedan innovative solution to remotelymonitor the development of scour atthe base of offshore wind turbines.Offshore Scour MonitoringSystemThe Offshore Scour Monitoring System, inthe context of marine renewables provideslong term monitoring of the seabed in theimmediate vicinity of turbine foundations.Dual Axis Scanning SonarUsing the Dual Axis Scanning Sonar(DAS) to continuously monitor the seabedaround the turbine, the system logs allthe data and transmits this data to shorevia the telemetry infrastructure, cabled orwireless, installed in the turbine.“The system can accurately visualisethe scouring at the base of the turbine,showing engineers to what level thesupporting capability of the seabed isBi-Flex concrete mattressesWhere cohesionless soils makes upthe seabed this material can be subjectto scour caused by changes in waterparticle velocity.For offshore wind farm structures scouris caused by the installation of piles, hubstructures and any objects placed on theseabed that alter the water velocity.VulnerabilityLarge diameter objects are vulnerable tosignificant scour and thus it is large monopilesthat need consideration for scour prevention.Although clay soils do not scour, where thereis a thin veneer there is a possibility of thematerial being removed by abrasion leavingunderlying sand subject to scour.Proven systemConcrete flexible mattresses are nowa proven system of scour prevention.Mattresses are designed to be self-stableand prevent the underlying soil erodingand by being flexible any initiation of scouraround the mattress edges allows the edgeblocks to fall into the scour depression andhalts any further erosion.lost. Sometimes the pit is several metresdeep and can drastically alter the supportand vibration characteristics of the turbineso it’s vital that a clear view of whatis happening on the seabed is readilyavailable,” explains Peter Ward, UnderwaterAcoustics and Marine Impacts Specialist atKongsberg Maritime in the UK.Continuous monitoringThe continuous monitoring capability ofthe system provides valuable informationregarding the dynamics of scour formationand sediment backfill. When the tidal flowdirection changes, the scoured out sedimentmay refill the pit, but being unconsolidated, itwill have little or no load bearing capability.This information, which is not availablefor the less frequent multibeam scoursurveys, provides the opportunity for quickremedial action before the scour becomescritical to the monitored structure.Paying dividendsThis is where hydro acoustic monitoringreally pays dividends according to Ward:Proactive methodA more proactive method of scour preventionis to incorporate fronds onto the concretemattresses. They are laid with the frondskept under a safe net until the total array hasbeen installed and then the nets are releasedto allow the fronds to form a covering of this‘artificial seaweed.’ Fronds work by reducingthe velocity of the water locally and in doingso those particles that cannot be held insuspension drop down. The viscous dragcreated by the buoyant fronds causes thisreduction in current velocity.Over a period of time, and this can be withina matter of days or a few weeks, a sediment“Our system not only monitors the depthof the seabed around each wind turbine,which is important information in itself,but also provides insight regarding thedynamic changes of the underlyingseabed structure. This translates intolower intervention costs for maintainingthe structure within the design parametersand avoids reductions in the life span ofthe wind turbine associated with unstablefoundations and vibration inducedstructural fatigue.”Kongsberg Maritimewww.km.kongsberg.comembankment builds up to a height of up to1.1m. Thus not only is scour prevented buta reinforcing embankment is formed.Cable protectionThe same approach can be used forprotection of the cables, a line of frondedmattresses can be laid where burial is notviable, and thus permits an embankment tobe formed giving both stability and impactprotection.Pipeshield has been involved in manyoffshore oil and gas projects for scourprevention and the following offshore windfarm projects…• Lincs OWF• Gwynt-y-Mor• Egmond Wind Park• Dan Tysk• Scroby Sands• Lynn Inner Dowsing• ThannetPipeshieldwww.pipeshield.comClick to view more info52 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 53

MONEY MATTERSMONEY MATTERSGreen InvestmentBank and Masdar toform new investmentallianceThe UK Green Investment Bank plc(GIB) and Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s statebackedrenewable energy company,have confirmed that they will signa Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) to explore project investmentopportunities in the UK’s clean energysector.State visitThe MoU signed on the occasion of astate visit to the UK by His HighnessSheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan,President of the United Arab Emirates, atan event hosted by HRH Prince Andrew,the Duke of York, at Buckingham Palace.Under the MoU, the two parties willconsider opportunities to jointly invest ingreen infrastructure projects in the UKover the next seven years. Together,they will introduce potential investmentopportunities to one another and otherpotential investors. There is no changeto the governance of both parties as jointinvestments will be made and managedindependently.InvestmentMasdar has already independentlyinvested over £500 million through itsequity stake in the UK’s London Array, theworld’s largest offshore wind farm. Thisnew alliance will unlock the potential forfurther investment.The MoU was the initiative of UK Energyand Climate Change Minister, Greg Barkerwho witnessed the signing said: “Thecreation of the Green Investment Bankis one of the Coalition Government’s keygreen achievements. Initially capitalisedwith a huge injection of £3 billion, wealways intended this brand-new financialinstitution to act as a catalyst to attractother finance into the UK Low Carboneconomy.”“This alliance is a big step in thatdirection, and a huge vote of confidencein the UK clean energy sector. Butthis agreement is about more than justmoney. Given the pioneering LowCarbon achievements of Masdar, itmakes strong strategic sense too.”The MoU was signed by Masdar CEODr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber and GIB CEOShaun Kingsbury.Shaun Kingsbury said: “This new MoU isa bold and exciting statement of intent.GIB and Masdar are new organisations– the first of their type in the world. We’llbe working together closely to bringinvestment to UK clean energy projectsand to share our expertise and experience.“At GIB we are building an enduringinstitution; one that’s here for the longterm. This relationship shows how wecan act as a catalyst to bring in additionalfunds for UK clean energy projects tocomplement the support we’ve alreadyreceived from the UK Government.”CollaborationDr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber said: “TheUnited Arab Emirates and the UnitedKingdom have already forged a strongbond in the advancement of cleanenergy. This collaborative investmenteffort will not only strengthen thoseties, it has the potential to pay healthydividends for both countries.“Masdar is pleased to be contributingto the UK’s renewable energy portfoliothrough the London Array and we areactively engaged in exploring newinvestment opportunities in the UKoffshore wind and clean technologysectors.”UK Green Investmentwww.greeninvestmentbank.comMasdarwww.masdar.aenew £35mwind energyincome fundResonance Asset ManagementLLP have completed theacquisition of Strath of Brydockwind farm with internationalrenewable energy consultancyNatural Power acting as leadtechnical due diligence engineer.Resonance Asset Management, analternative asset management firmfocused on originating, distributingand managing real asset investmentfunds for institutional investors,recently confirmed they have raised£35m for its inaugural wind energyincome fund.Strath of Brydock windfarmThe fund appointed Natural Power tocarry out technical due diligence ontheir first acquisition of the Strath ofBrydock wind farm. The site, locatedwest of Banff, Aberdeenshire,Scotland is a 6.9MW wind farmwith 3 Enercon E70 turbines andhas been operational with MuirdenEnergy for the past three years.Natural Power provided Resonance withthe following services in order for themto assess the acquisition of Strath ofBrydock…• Energy production review and analysis• Site visits to visually assess thecondition of project infrastructure• Contracts review – turbine supply,warranty and asset management• Review of historical planning and otherpermit conditions• Review of land lease agreements• Balance of plant – electrical review andgrid connectionMarco Pipparelli, Head of Due DiligenceUK commented on the project “It is withgreat pleasure that we have openedthe doors on Resonance’s new windfund, with this initial purchase of Strathof Brydock. We are keen to continueworking with them on new acquisitionsmoving forward, providing competitivedue diligence advice based on almosttwo decades of renewable consultingexperience.”Francesca Collins, Resonance AssetManagement said “Resonance AssetManagement launched their inauguralwind energy income fund focused onwind capacities of between 2MW and10MW. Natural Power has advised ussuccessfully on this first acquisitionof 6.9MW Strath of Brydock windfarm. We look forward to working withNatural Power again during the ongoingacquisitions within this fund and havebeen impressed by their ability to offersuch holistic due diligence services inthe sector.”Natural Power’s Due Diligence servicesare based on a wealth of full lifecycleconsulting experience of over 15 years,having…• Successfully delivered buildingconsents and environmental permitsover 2000MW of wind energy projects,both onshore and offshore, for a broadrange of developers• Managed the pre financing and postfinancing construction process on over1100MW of wind farm projects• Provided comprehensive assetmanagement services for over2000MW of operating wind farmcapacity, constituting 32% of the totalwind onshore installed capacity in the UKNatural Powerwww.naturalpower.com56 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 57

SPOTLIGHT ON WEST OF SCOTLANDSPOTLIGHT ON WEST OF SCOTLANDHonorary degrees forindustry leadersSpotlighton the West ofScotlandSo often overlooked in the windenergy industry, this area issuch an important part in thelarger scheme of things.We let our sponsors for this feature,Scottish Enterprise, explain why…The West of Scotland leads the wayWhen energy giant Areva chose tolocate in Scotland in November lastyear, it said one of the key factorsin its decision was the growingoffshore manufacturing ‘cluster’in Scotland, where the companyintends to base its site.The wider pictureThe wider picture, however, is that thereare now more than 40 investmentsor intended investments in offshorerenewable power located right aroundthe country, from Strathclyde to theShetlands.Scotland is rapidly becoming a leadingglobal light in the ongoing development ofrenewable energy. As well as having thenatural resources, we are also home tosome of the leading experts, innovatorsand operators in the sector.West of Scotland focusThe west of the country shows a distinctfocus on research and development. InGlasgow, the International Technologyand Renewable Energy Zone (ITREZ), willbring together academia, research andbusiness to create a hub of activity aroundthe renewables sector.Industrial revolutionEwen Cameron, a Senior Manager inrenewables & low carbon technologies atScottish Enterprise, says:“Scotland is at the forefront of this new‘industrial revolution’, and that it shouldremain so.“We’re determined to see Scotlandrealise its potential within this remarkablenew industry, we provide support inall sorts of ways, from R&D funding toproviding the facilities these companiesneed.“It’s part of our job to make sure theinfrastructure is in place and remainsin place. We’ll keep working with themain players; the researchers and theinnovators; the companies seeking tomake the most of our natural resources,to ensure that remains the case.”ITREZ will be home to the University ofStrathclyde’s Technology InnovationCentre and Scottish Enterprise’s newindustry engagement building - Inovo,as well as the headquarters of the UK’sOffshore Energy Catapult. The Catapultis a £50million technology innovationproject which aims to improve the riskprofile around new offshore renewableenergy technologies, making them morebankable.Scottish Enterprisewww.scottish-enterprise.comClick to view more info= Click to view videoWind turbine test centreElsewhere in the West, Scottish Enterpriseand SSE are creating an offshore windturbine test centre at Hunterston onthe coast of North Ayrshire – capableof hosting three full scale wind turbinesdesigned for offshore deployment.60 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 61

SPOTLIGHT ON WEST OF SCOTLANDSPOTLIGHT ON WEST OF SCOTLANDGSS Marine ServicesGSS Marine Services are a company based in Rhu Marinanear Helensburgh in Argyll and Bute. The company whichuntil very recently was known as GSS Plant now workacross most continents and also have an office in Holland.Services and experienceThey provide expert and well equipped support for marineconstruction, engineering, repair and maintenance and are trustedcontractors to the Royal Navy and civil maritime construction industry.Wind, wave and tidalIncreasingly GSS have expanded into the offshore wind,wave and tidal energy fields. Their fleet of 18 state-of-the-artworkboats cope with all aspects of the offshore renewablessector from installation, cable laying and maintenance, to fullyqualified dive support and crew transfer.Wind energySome of the marine wind farm projects around the UK that GSShave been involved with include Burbo Bank, Robin Rigg andArklow as well as further afield for the Rodsand 2 off Denmarkwhere they offered services including dive support, groundinvestigations, vibrocoring, and anchor handling.Wave & tidalDuring works in Orkneythe Fiona F Eurocarrier,accompanied by ateam of 5 divers carriedout installation of 10composite gravityanchors weighing upto and over 100 tonnesfor the EuropeanMarine Energy Centre’soffshore test facilitiesfor wave and tidalpower technologies.Scottish Water installEvance small wind turbinesto power water treatmentworksTen Evance turbines to reduce cost ofoperating water works on Isle of LewisEvance is pleased to be working inpartnership with Scottish Water to helpharness wind power and so reduce theenergy costs of running a vital service forthe Scottish community.First installation completeThe first installation of R9000 small windturbines has been completed at ScottishWater’s waste water treatment works nearStornoway on the Isle of Lewis. The tenturbines will be able to generate around500kWh of electricity each day to helppower the works, so reducing the energycosts of running the works today and inthe future.On-site for use on-siteEddie Johnstone, Project Manager withScottish Water’s Energy Team stated“We’re delighted that this wind project atStornoway has come to fruition. ScottishWater needs a significant amount ofenergy to provide services to the peopleof Scotland. By installing the Evance smallwind turbines energy can be generatedon-site for use on-site. This will reducethe need for purchasing electricity froma grid supplier, resulting in lower energycosts – all benefits for our customers.We will continue to pursue opportunitiesto deliver best value by developingrenewables and maximising use ofScottish Water’s assets.”Vital service at reduced cost“It is exciting to see our turbines beingused to help Scottish Water reducethe cost of supplying a vital water &waste water service to the Scottishcommunity,” comments Tim Sammon,Director of Evance Wind Turbines.“It is great working with the team atScottish Water as they are open toopportunities to make small wind workfor them on sites where wind is a goodnatural resource – a resource there forharnessing! This is all for the benefit oftheir paying customers, and will alsosupport local businesses which areproviding installation services, and willundertake ongoing servicing of theturbines.”Scottish WaterScottish Water is the fourth largest water& waste water service provider in the UK,providing 5 million customers, with 1.3billion litres of clean water every day andalso takes away 839 million litres of wastewater a day. With over 2,100 water andwaste water treatments works, and othersites, Scottish Water is a large user ofenergy. Scottish Water continues to workon projects to generate green energyto reduce operation costs, reduce thecost to customers and also help to meetScotland’s renewable energy target.Wider investment programmeThe turbines are part of the widerinvestment programme by ScottishWater Horizons the utility’s commercialsubsidiary, in renewable generationschemes across Scotland.Evance Wind Turbines Ltdwww.evancewind.comFlexible approachThe flexible approach that GSS Marine Services has, coupledwith their vast experience gained in the last 24 years andwillingness to acquire specific plant as required by clients, putsthem in the forefront of marine contractors in the UK today.GSS Marine Serviceswww.gssplant.co.uk66 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 67

COMPANY ARTICLECOMPANY ARTICLEHeight safetyequipmentspecific to the windenergy industryCapital Safety is a global leaderin fall protection. The companyinnovates and manufactures fit-forpurposeproducts, designed to bringevery worker at height home safely.The company has over 60 years’experience in the industry and is theonly company that focuses solely onfall protection as its expertise.People’s lives are at risk every day if theydon’t have the right fall protection equipmentand training. There were 35 workers’ deathsresulting from falls from height (2008/9),accounting for 50% of all fatalities in theworkplace, and 3,800 major workplaceinjuries in the UK alone costing the economy£60m each year. The company’s aim isto eradicate these deaths and injuries bysingularly specialising in fall protection.Industry experience andfeedbackCapital Safety engineers and manufacturesfall protection equipment including,harnesses, anchors and lanyards. Inaddition to building the right equipment, thecompany uses its industry experience andfeedback from thousands of clients in thefield to provide on-going advice and supportthrough onsite visits, demo vans, dedicatedtraining centres and repair centres.They first entered the market in 1949 withthe launch of the world’s first ever SRL,the SALA-BLOCK. Nearly 50 years later,after a number successful mergers andacquisitions, Capital Safety Group wasformed in 1998 hosting the flagship brandsDBI-SALA® and Protecta®. The group hasnow established itself as the global leader infall protection.Global leaderBy aiming to focus on and understandthe particular requirements of companiesoperating across the world in differentsectors, and responding with equipmentthat is specifically designed to meet thevaried and demanding conditions thatworkers at height encounter, they havegrown an extensive patented productrange.Capital Safety now has 1200 employeesacross the globe with presence on 5continents; Europe, Asia, North andSouth America. Each country has itsown experts in sales, technical, customerservice and marketing. There is also ateam of 10 who dedicate their time toresearch and development and whohave led the innovation of over 500individual patents.Wind energy industryThe wind energy industry is an area ofexpertise for the group. It is a diversifiedenvironment that is constantly changingas work progresses and technologyevolves, and the industry itself is alwaysinnovating with new procedures andmaterials that present challengesand demand new solutions from fallprotection.On top of a wind turbine is no placeto second-guess your fall protectionequipment. When you are hundreds offeet in the air with nothing between youand the ground, you need to know thatyou are safe and secure being lookedafter so you can get on with the job inhand. Combining innovation and years ofexperience in the wind sector they havethe highest number of engineers, largestpatent portfolio, with 180 patentedproducts, and the greatest number ofindustry firsts within the sector.Capital Safety has specific and tailoredanchors, harnesses and lanyards forwind turbine construction, wind turbinemaintenance and wind turbine rescues/evaluation.ConstructionIn wind turbine construction the companyunderstands the need for a temporaryanchor which can easily be removed andattached during the construction process.The ideal combination would be a TieoffAdaptor and a good body harnesswith various access points so a workercan manoeuvre themselves with multipleanchorage points, such as ExoFit WindEnergy Harness, specifically tailored withwind energy workers in mind. A fixed lengthlanyard such as Force2 100% Tie-offLanyard - designed to protect againstabrasion whilst climbing and descending - isused to link the user’s body harness to theanchorage.MaintenanceWind turbine maintenance requires slightlydifferent equipment to construction. Theanchor needs to be permanent, for examplea Lad-Saf Ladder Safety System andthe lanyard will require a lot more mobilityfor motion, the Ultra-Lok Self retractingLifeline being ideal for this. Again, aspecialised harness tailored to the windenergy workers which can be worn forconsecutive hours with comfort, for exampleExoFit Wind Energy Harness, is required.RescueWhile working at heights sometimesconventional rescue methods can behard to use and so self-rescue, personalevacuation and casualty evacuationequipment is necessary. Speed is essentialin all evacuations or rescues. The companybelieves that all rescue equipment should bequick and easy to use with any non-installedor temporary equipment being light weightand user-friendly. Rollgliss R500 Rescue& Escape Device can be used for one or2 people with the Cable Choker used as atemporary anchor.Fall protectionBrad Gates, President EMEA, Capital Safetystates, “In the wind energy industry, lackof proper fall protection can have lifechanging consequences. Capital Safety isdedicated ensuring that the demands ofthe wind energy industry places are methead on with safety leading the way.”“Fall protection is very important to us, wetake our special responsibility to workersat height very seriously. In effect they puttheir lives in our hands every day and it isour mission to bring those workers homesafely every time, everywhere, withoutexception. Through innovative productsand training we hope to make sure everyworker feels safe and comfortable in theirdaily lives and in what they are doing.”Capital Safetywww.capitalsafety.usClick to view more info70 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 71

WorkboatsWorkboatsSheringhamShoalScira and TidalTransit workingtogetherTidal Transit’s personnel transfer vessel, EdenRose, has been on charter to Scira OffshoreEnergy since May 2012.Initially it was transporting construction workers building theSheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm to site, and since this88 turbine power plant was completed late last year, it hasbeen taking maintenance technicians to the wind farm on adaily basis.Renewed contractAnnouncing that this charter contract has just been renewedfor a further 6 months, Tidal Transit’s Commercial Director LeoHambro said: “Eden Rose has been in daily use by Scira foralmost 12 months now, and it has really proved its worth overthe recent period of rough weather when smaller personneltransfer vessels were unable to sail because of the swell.Maintenance work has been critical. Eden Rose, as well asGinny Louise over Easter, have been able to cope admirablywith the conditions.”LogisticsTypically having received its manifest the previous night fromScira Marine Logistics and loaded up with locally boughtprovisions, Eden Rose leaves the harbour at either GreatYarmouth or Wells-next-the-Sea in the early morning. The vesselwill be carrying up to 12 wind farm technicians and their tools,together with any spare parts likely to be needed during the day.ComfortTravelling at an average speed of 23 knots, the travel time tothe Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm is usually 2.5 hoursfrom Great Yarmouth, 1 hour from Wells-next-the-Sea, duringwhich passengers can enjoy the on-board comforts of thevessel.Work baseHaving transferred the teams of technicians to various windturbines, Eden Rose remains on site, serving as the work baseand remaining in radio contact with each team throughout theshift. Some will return on board for lunchtime refreshment,and Eden Rose will finally return them to port at the end of theworking day.Specifications on Tidal Transit vesselsThese vessels greatly exceed the current fleet being used forthe same purpose in the UK. The vessels’ MCA Cat 1 codingand 10,000 litre fuel tanks allow them to work up to 150 milesoffshore, well within the range of the UK’s forthcoming Round 3offshore wind farms.Passenger comfortEach vessel provides four crew members and twelvepassengers with comfortable beds, bathrooms, galley, internetaccess and entertainment facilities, allowing wind farm engineersand support technicians to live and work offshore for up toseveral days at a time.ConstructionBeing of rugged GRP construction enables them to operatein rough seas – a major advantage when working in the NorthSea. Twin V12 MAN engines facilitate speeds of up to 27knots when carrying twelve passengers, the crew, and theiron-board cargo.Cargo decksMassive cargo decks fore and aft can accommodate up to10,000kg of tools, equipment and spares, and the Guerracrane on the fore deck has a lifting capacity of 1,025kg at6.9m, which caters for long reach loading and unloading.Cranes can also be deployed for camera surveys and grabsampling.Tidal Transit Limitedwww.tidal-transit.comClick to view more info= Click to view videoImage courtesy of CHPV72 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 73

WorkboatsWorkboatsInnovativemarinecommunicationsfor North SeasafetyWhen Mantsbrite became the sole UKdistributor of the David Clark MarineWireless Headset CommunicationsSystems in 2012, one of the first userswas Tidal Transit, a fast growingNorth Norfolk company providing anew generation of personnel transfervessels for use by offshore wind farmdevelopers.Some years earlier. Tidal Transithad realised that offshore wind farmdevelopment off the east coast of Englandwas going to create a huge demandfor personnel transfer vessels [PTVs] totransport mechanics and electriciansNavigational aidsThey selected Mantsbrite, to firstly fit out‘Ginny Louise’, and very shortly after ‘EdenRose’, with the best navigational aidsavailable to enable the vessels to functionsafely and efficiently in the unfriendlywaters of the North Sea.The company is a renowned UK distributorof electronic navigation and communicationequipment, supplying high quality productsfrom a wide range of world class suppliers.within a range of 100m. Being handsfree,they greatly enhance mobility asthere is no need for crew members to betethered to the vessel.”Man overboard rescue exerciseTidal Transit’s Leo Hambro comments:“These Communications Systems havebeen invaluable. When we carried outa ‘man overboard rescue’ exerciserecently, the crew member on deck wasable to move freely, giving very clearinstructions to the crew on the bridge,thus avoiding accidental harm to the‘man’ in the water. Fortunately, wehaven’t experienced such an incident,but with the David Clark wirelesssystem, we are confident that our crewto-crewcommunications can makea huge difference in both normal andextraordinary circumstances.”‘Ginny Louise’ and ‘Eden Rose’ have beenin continuous use on the Greater Gabbardand Sheringham Shoal Offshore WindFarms since their arrival in the UK.Myton Lawadviseson £1.6mworkboatacquisitionMyton Law has advised work boatoperator East Coast Charters Ltd on a£1.6 million vessel acquisition.ECC ChallengerThe Hull-based specialist shipping,transport and logistics law firm wasinstructed by East Coast Charters toact in the purchase and financing of thenewly-built ECC Challenger, which addsto the company’s fleet of multipurposeworkboats providing marine survey,crew and stores transport and windfarmsupport.“We were delighted to support ECCin formulating a strong business caseto lenders, which proved successful insecuring the investment funds towardsthe purchase, which ECC wanted.”Wide experienceMyton Law, located at The Deep BusinessCentre on the banks of the Humber, isable to advise on ship’s finance, ship build,sale and purchase, as well as on wetshipping, dry shipping, technical shipping,engineering, insurance, international tradeand renewable energy matters.The ECC Challenger was built byLowestoft-based East Coast Charters’sister company East Coast Workcats.Myton Lawwww.mytonlaw.co.uk“Though the values involved withworkboats are not as great as formainstream shipping, following thedownturn, lenders remain perhaps overcautious and their conditions are no lessstringent.” explains Myton Law’s JohnHabergham.from shore to the offshore wind farmsites. Accordingly, in 2011, its directorsLeo Hambro and Adam Wright madea considerable investment in what thenwas primarily a fishing trip business,commissioning their first two state-of-theart,purpose designed and built vesselsfrom a Spanish vessel manufacturer.Clear and interference-freecommunicationManaging Director David Ash said: “Oneof the key factors in operating safelyat sea is clear and interference-freecommunication, so I was delighted whenDavid Clark launched its new MarineWireless Headset CommunicationsSystem. Having thoroughly tested theseheadsets, I knew they would be ideal forcrews operating vessels in the demandingenvironment of the North Sea.“They are rugged, manufactured frommarine grade components, and enableusers to enjoy clear, crisp reception“Mantsbrite will be fitting out our thirdvessel, the ‘Tia Elizabeth’, which isexpected to reach these shores in May2013,” says Leo Hambro, “and DavidClark wireless headsets are part of theequipment specification.”Established in 1964, Mantsbrite now hasan established 175 strong dealer networkthroughout the UK and Ireland.Mantsbritewww.mantsbrite.comProviding marine electronics andcharts to wind farm workboatsEstablished for over 30 years andworking from 4 offices based aroundthe coast, Charity and Taylor offera wide range of services to vesselsworking on the wind farms.Service and SupportWith a 365 days a year call out, the teamof qualified engineers are ready to resolveequipment failure and breakdown for awide range of marine equipment. Serviceis available to support Furuno, Icom,Simrad, Sailor, Raymarine and many othermanufacturers equipment.Specialising in support targeted at thewind farm sector Charity and Taylor canreduce the frustration and cut the cost ofvessel downtime.Full InstallationWorking with vessel manufacturerssuch as Alnmaritec, Southboats, AlicatWorkboats & Charity and Taylor havebeen instrumental in the design andinstallation of packages, to suit a rangeof wind farm applications. Navigationaland communication needs are coveredand packages fitted to suit budgetaryrequirements.Charts and PublicationsAs an Admiralty International chart agentCharity and Taylor provide a complete‘one stop shop’ enhancing electronicservicing with a complete worldwideoffering of admiralty paper charts anddigital products.Charity and Taylorwww.ecdis-and-radar.com74 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 75

WorkboatsWorkboatsBespokeworkboats forclient needsBlue Wave Maritime Ltd have beeninvolved in the Offshore Renewablemarket for 2 years, bringing their30+ years of maritime experience tothis new and exciting sector. Theworkboat market has expandeddramatically since the inceptionof offshore wind energy and canencompass a wide and eclectic rangeof vessels from crew transfer vessels,guard vessels, tugs and survey ships.The company has firmlyplaced themselves in themarket to match suitablevessels to their clients. Thisinvolves a requirement fromthe client for a workboat toconduct a task whether metmast commissioning, crewtransfer or survey. BlueWave can then go to themarket and identify the mostsuitable vessels, giving the client an idea ofcost and suitability. They will conduct anaudit of the workboat and bring her ontocharter with the ability to conduct on andoff hire surveys, inductions and indeedeven award The Baltic and InternationalMaritime Council (BIMCO) contract.Case HistoryThe company were asked by SgurrEnergyto provide a solution to commissioningtwo Met Masts in the Southern NorthSea. The challenge being that one of themasts was over 55 NM offshore. Theyidentified 3 vessels that were capableof the role and eventually in conjunctionwith SgurrEnergy awarded the contractto Atlantic Marine and Aviation LLPwhich supplied the Atlantic Cougar aresearch/crew transfer vessel. This gaveSgurrEnergy the flexibility to keep thetechnicians at sea for an extended periodin order to negate the very lengthy transfertimes, some three hours in each direction.The commissioning is due to take placesoon.SurveysBlue Wave Maritime also provide manningservices to Argyll Workboats Limited,specifically the Sea Horse 2, which hasconducted surveys for a number ofOREI’s.Surveys have included bird and mammal,benthic and geophysical.Blue Wave Maritime Ltdwww.bluewavemaritime.orgClick to view more infoHistoric Humber-built vessel launched in HullA boat that is spearheading anhistoric revival of shipbuilding on theHumber was launched recently.The Cheetah, built under license fromGreat Yarmouth-based Alicat Workboats– a subsidiary of the Gardline Group – ispart of a £5.1m order for three aluminumworkboats from Hull business Rix SeaShuttle Ltd.It is destined for work in the UK’sburgeoning renewable energy industry,taking service engineers and equipment toand from wind farms off Britain’s east coast.Dunston (Ship Builders) LtdThe craft has been built at Dunston (ShipBuilders) Ltd – presently the only shipbuilder on the Humber. She will then betowed to Dunston’s ship-repair facility atAlbert Dock in Hull for finishing, with anofficial naming ceremony.Dunston (Ship Builders) Ltd was formedin May 2012 specifically to build theworkboats. The company is based atPaull, a village to the east of Hull, on theold Hepworths Ship Yard site which wasclosed last year after completing a finalNew custom-build vessel for Osiris ProjectsOsiris Projects has announcedthe delivery of a new 14mcatamaran planned for later in2013.vessel also for Rix,the Lerrix, a 53-metre long marinebunkering vessel thatworks on Humberestuary and aroundthe east coast.Red-letter dayJames Doyle,Managing Directorof Rix Sea Shuttle,said the launch ofthe Cheetah wasa red-letter dayin the history ofshipbuilding on theHumber.“It‘s fantastic to know that our order issparking a revival in shipbuilding in thisregion,” he said.“The fact is demand is being driven bythe renewables sector so what we areseeing is the region’s newest industryoffering a lifeline to one of its oldest.“It is opportunities like this that aregoing to be created as the HumberCustomisedThe bespoke vessel, built by BlythWorkcats, will be customised specificallyto the requirements of shallow waterbecomes a hub for the UK’s renewableenergy sector and with the right visionand planning, such as is the case withRix Sea Shuttle, many local companiesshould be able to benefit.”Rix Sea Shuttlewww.rixseashuttle.co.uk.survey, and will feature the latest offeringsfrom the company’s regular equipmentsuppliers.DesignThe design is similar to that of the company’s15m catamaran ‘Lia’; another custom-buildcatamaran launched in 2004. The design is apopular choice for crew transfer vessels andis known for providing a fast transit speedwithout comprising stability.4th custom build projectThe new vessel follows the launch of 27msemi-SWATH catamaran ‘Bibby Tethra’ in2011, and is Osiris Projects’ 4th custombuild project.Osiris Projectswww.osirisprojects.co.ukClick to view more infoCatamaran Lia= Click to view video 1= Click to view video 276 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 77

WorkboatsWorkboatsIsland Shipping completeanother successful projectIsland Shipping is pleased toannounce that two of the company’swind-farm service vessels, IslandTiger and Island Panther have recentlycompleted another successful UKoffshore wind-farm charter.Both vessels have carried out 120 dayscharter on behalf of Centrica at theLincs Offshore Windfarm constructionsite in the North Sea. Island Shipping isdelighted that both boats have completedtheir assignment with no days lost tomechanical failure.Demanding offshore conditionsWorking out of Sutton Bridge, the boatshave been carrying out a variety of tasksin the most demanding of offshoreconditions. Apart from carrying engineersthey have been tasked with the carriage oflight cargo and gases for construction.17 metre catamarans, Island Tiger andIsland Panther are proven, reliable offshorewindfarm vessels. Since launch in June2010, Island Tiger has worked on theGreater Gabbard and then SheringhamShoal completing 618 days on the latterwind-farm, mostlyon 24 hourcharter. Likewise,Island Panthercompleted 575days continuouscharter (mostly24 hour) onSheringhamShoal beforemoving to theLincs assignment.SpecificationsThey were one of the first to feature thenow industry standard Ocean 3 fenderand their sticking power to the tower in 2metre seas is highly regarded throughoutthe industry. For 17 metres, the vesselspunch well above their weight becausetheir large volume hulls together withhigh tunnel height and excellent interiorspec combines for an excellent ride andultimately crew comfort and safety.Clients have been more than happy withthe boats’ performance:“Sheringham Shoal utilised over 18personnel transfer vessels in variousconditions and the Island Tiger andIsland Panther were proven, operatingin the top end of the fleet’s capability.The vessels and crews performedextremely well and proved to be reliableand professional in all that we asked ofthem.” Stated SCIRA Project ManagerSheringham Shoal.Island Shippingwww.islandshipping.ieThirteen yearsof offshore windIt is remarkable to think that it is onlythirteen years ago that the very firsttransfer of personnel onto an offshorewind turbine took place in the NorthSea at the then new Blyth OffshoreWind Farm, the UK’s original offshorewind farm.Top Catperformance of our new Wave Captainclass boat, she has proved herself tobe extremely capable in some verydemanding conditions.”Boat developmentsAlnmaritec Managing Director ChrisMillman said“We are proudto have beensupplyingboats to theUK offshorewind industryA leader inthe industryMPI Offshore has been a frontrunner in the offshore wind turbineinstallation industry for over a decade,with the acquisition of the firstpurpose-built wind turbine installationvessel (WTIV), MPI Resolution, in2003 and the delivery in 2011 of twomore state-of-the-art vessels, MPIAdventure and MPI Discovery.Since delivery, these vessels have beeninstalling wind turbines, foundations andtransition pieces throughout WesternEuropean continental waters.Other servicesAlthough this activity is the core businessof MPI, the company also providesa range of complementary services,skills and equipment tailored to currentdemands in the offshore wind market.For example, the company has respondedto the growing demand for transportationof offshore personnel and the provision ofsafe access to offshore installations duringboth construction and O&Mphases. MPI Workboats’fleet of 15-20m catamaransis based on an aluminiumwater-jet-powered catamarandesign, incorporatinginnovative solutions at therequest of individual clients.GrowthLeslie Robertson, GeneralManager of MPI Workboats,has overseen the growth ofMPI’s workboat fleet, froma single vessel in 2008 tothe current eight high-speedcatamarans, and is lookingforward to the delivery of fourmore vessels, currently under constructionat South Boats IoW.Improvements and modificationsBased on client feedback and developingmarket knowledge, MPI Workboats iscontinually working on improving its fleet.Modifications completed include theinstallation of 10Te capacity cranes, 690V3Ph generators capable of poweringturbines during maintenance, and fueltransfersystems for replenishing allexisting TP generators.One specific modification worthmentioning is the installation of a T12Maxccess system on MPI Dorothea,allowing safer access from the workboatsto TP landing platforms in difficult seaconditions. This system increases safeaccess to offshore installations from waveheights of 1.1m to 1.8m. As a result,clients’ available vessel working time isincreased by 40%.MPI Offshorewww.mpi-offshore.comThe vessel used for the operation wasthe ‘Top Cat’, designed and built bylocal boat builder Alnmaritec. One of thehighly successful Wave Angler class,she was 10m long and classed to carry12 passengers and 2 crew - her originalpurpose though was wreck and sea fishing.From here a whole new sector of theindustry evolved – designing and buildingwind farm support vessels (WFSV).Leading the wayThirteen years and one hundred andtwenty boats later Alnmaritec are still in thevanguard of the industry building modernand innovative vessels many of which arein wind farm service.Their latest design - the 19m WaveCaptain class – is proving to be extremelypopular in the market, with threecompleted already and another twocurrently in build. Two of these new buildsare for Dave Armstrong of North SeaLogistics – operator of Top Cat back in2000 who said “We have been involvedin the offshore wind industry for thirteenyears during which time Alnmaritec havebuilt a series of high quality boats forus. I have to say I’m delighted with theBoat hull being turnedfor as long as we have and we aredetermined to remain at the forefront ofthe development of these vessels. TopCat was a lovely little boat but you onlyneed look at the pictures to see the hugedifferences between her and the purposebuilt vessels of today. We will continueto work closely with our clients to deliverthe new and innovative designs whichwill be required to meet the challengesemerging as we see turbines erectedfurther and further from the shore.”Alnmaritecwww.alnmaritec.co.uk78 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 79

LubricantsLubricantsAdvanced wind turbinegearbox filtration andcondition monitoring systemsOur regular lubricants feature continues to grow and therefore proves howimportant the subject area is to the industry.We welcome Hydac as our sponsors for the next year and they start us off withinformation on advanced filtration and condition monitoring, thus ensuring gearboxhealth.Ensuring gearbox health andavoidance of early failures withadvanced filtration and conditionmonitoring system upgrade kitsA wind turbine gearbox is one of themost important components of a windturbine. The cost of changing a gearboxafter a bearing failure can easily add up to£100,000 and more, which can threatenthe economic success of operating a windturbine. So protecting the gearbox with astate-of-the-art lube and filtration systemis a key factor to a reliable and profitableoperation.Upgrades to High PerformanceFiltrationFor more than 15 years HYDAC havebeen and still are the leading supplier oflube systems and filtration for wind. Basedon the experience in this application andon testing and R&D studies, the filtrationconcepts and products were optimised forthe wind application in several steps.This resulted in the most recent filterelement series BN4HX which is used fornew wind turbine gearbox installations.The BN4HX elements have an increaseddirt holding capacity, high beta ratios anda low differential pressure at high flowrates and high viscosity lubricants.This helps maintain oil cleanliness duringthe whole installation time of the filterelement. The differential pressure remainslower for the lifetime of the filter.This reduces the amount of time withopen filter bypass and without full filtration.Also manyolder windturbine gearboxdesigns canbe convertedto BN4HXfilter elementsto achieve fullprotection for thegearbox usingthis most recenttechnology. Thisincludes therecommendable2-stage designwhere a 50µmfilter providesa minimumfiltrationfor situations with open filter bypass.Analyses of used filters have shown thatthe 50µm stage was helpful becauselarge contaminants, ≥100µm, were foundand were removed by the 50µm-stage.Without the 50µm stage these would havebeen delivered to the lube contacts in thegearbox.Filter size extension kitsThere are various options available, suchas larger filters with the same pore size,providing more filter life-time; these havethe potential to reduce the annual filtrationcost. Also there are upgrade kits withhigher micron ratings providing a highercleanliness level or special filter mediafor removal of non-solid contaminants.There is a 3-stage-filter option whichhas an additional stage with partial flowto combine a filter element with lowdifferential pressure and very fine filtrationin the partial flow situation.Desiccant breatherOlder turbines especially can benefitfrom upgrading to a desiccant breather.The BDE uses a combination of twodesiccants to achieve a high watercapacity and also a high efficiency.Drying the air when the gearbox inhalescontributes to keep the amount ofdissolved water in the oil at a reasonablylow level during operation and stop. Also,a full pleated air filter element for solidcontaminants is included in the BDEbreathers.Offline Filter UpgradesAn addition of new, and an upgrading ofexisting offline filter circuits enables usingthe Trimicron offline filter elements forremoval of fine particles, free water and oilageing bi-products.Oil Condition MonitoringUpgrade KitsFor online monitoring of the gearboxhealth, an oil condition monitoring upgradekit can be installed. HYDAC has variousdata acquisition and analysis systemssuch as the CMU 1000. The sensorsignals can either be transmitted via cablee.g. ethernet or per wireless connection,depending on the local situation. A CMUcan support an array of sensors includinge.g. particle counting, water, differentialpressure, temperature and other signalsas required.Such a data acquisition system islocated in an additional electrical cabinet.Also measured data from a specificwind turbine can be transmitted perSMS message either on request, or ifPhoto by ABO Wind AGwarning levels are exceeded. Hence, anoptimisation of maintenance planning forthe service personnel is provided andoperation time in damaging operatingconditions is minimised. Additionally,HYDAC can offer a remote access,network connected solution with thecondition monitoring package CM Expert.Sensor arrayThe sensor array typically includes particlemonitoring for wear debris with sensorsof the MCS 1000 series. The MCS1510 wear debris monitor can easily beintegrated to the inline lubrication circuit ina full flow configuration with many existingturbine designs.By analysing the number and rate ofparticles in the oil flow, an early detectionof failures is achieved.The AS 1000 sensor can be added formonitoring the water content in the oil.This helps identification of problems withthe water content before the effects (oilsludge, corrosion, bearing fatigue) occur.GW Filter Condition MonitoringThe GW sensor is easy to install to a filterhousing. This allows detection of situationswith reducedfunction of the lubeand filtration circuitsuch as open filterbypass, improperflow rate, false orcontaminated filterelement, incorrectsystem pressureand more.SummaryWind turbinestypically have20 years designlife. Changingthe gearboxprematurely dueto a bearingfailure and wear of a wind turbine gearboxneeds to be avoided. When the gearboxlifetime is reduced, for example to 9 years,2 changes will be necessary within the20 years. Hence, the gearbox needs torun as long as possible and rewards themost recent technology as a protection toremove solid contaminants.Dr. Armin Schmidt & Tobias Daley Hydacwww.hydac.co.ukClick to view more info80 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 81

LubricantsLubricantsHelping operators optimisepower output in harshenvironmentsIn the previous issue Rob Pears,ExxonMobil Fuels & Lubricantsdiscussed viable solutions to addresscommon gearbox performanceconcerns. In this issue, Rob continuesto share best practice insightswith wind turbine operators, witha particular focus on maintainingoptimum wind turbine productivityin the face of particularly harshenvironments, such as thoseencountered offshore.Proper gearbox lubrication is essential formaximising wind turbine performance.However, as technology has evolved theburden on lubricants has grown. Becausetoday’s gearboxes must support heavierloads than ever before, operators arelooking for lubricants that can successfullyminimise wear and provide extended drainintervals.Q1: What are some of theconsiderations that go intolubricating a wind turbinegearbox?A1: Wind turbine gearboxes have uniquelubrication needs compared to otherindustrial sectors. As well as addressingthe standard needs of high load bearinggearbox components, we must alsoconsider the stresses a gearbox enduresin this particular application.Standing hundreds of feet high offshore,and often situated in remote locations,wind turbines operate in wide temperatureranges and are vulnerable to wear,water contamination, rust and corrosion.Furthermore, their hard-to-reach locationscan make routine maintenance visits verycostly. Therefore, any in-service lubricantsmust last as long as possible and offersufficient equipment protection to avoidunscheduled downtime.Q2: How has wind turbinelubrication changed over time?A2: In the past, gearbox lubricant changeswere typically carried out every 18 monthsfor mineral gear oils and every 3 years forsynthetic alternatives.Today, as gearbox technology has vastlyimproved, wind turbine operators aredemanding enhanced performance fromtheir lubricants. Extended drain intervalsare of particular concern, as a complete“drain-flush-fill” cost can exceed $5,000(USD) for a MW mid-range sized turbinefor the lubricant alone.The total cost is further compoundedby other overheads such as labour,production downtime, equipment repairand the prohibitively high cost of vesselhire for offshore installations.So, not only must wind turbine gearboxlubricants provide protection from theelements, but to meet the expectationof operators, they have to do so foran exceptionally long period of time tokeep costs down. Some operators arelooking for lubricants that deliver oil drainintervals of up to and beyond five years.Regular use of an used oil analysis,such as ExxonMobil’s Signum, enablesmaintenance professionals to monitorthe condition of the equipment and thelubricant to increase oil drain intervals.Q3: Is it a challenge to meetthese elevated performancestandards?A3: It can be challenging. But, atExxonMobil, we are well-equippedto handle this challenge through ourtechnology leadership and applicationexpertise in the wind sector. Thanks toour scientifically engineered approachto product development, excellentindustry insight and technical knowhowwe have been able to deliver highperformance lubricants, optimised forindividual applications. We refer to thisas “ExxonMobil’s Balanced FormulationApproach.”No matter what sector we are workingin or what specific performancecharacteristics the product requires, thisprocess enables us to develop lubricantsthat deliver exceptional performanceacross all critical areas—such as oxidativestability, component wear protection,corrosion control, filterability, watertolerance, shear stability and extremetemperatureperformance.The balanced formulation approachis a two-fold concept. First, our teamof scientists evaluates the lubricantdesign in a series of stringent laboratorytests to determine its performancecapabilities. Then, we take our lubricantcandidate out into the field and conducta full-scale, dynamic testing on actualindustrial equipment. A product hasto excel in both tests before it receivesthe ExxonMobil seal of approval. Forwind turbine gearboxes, we recommendMobilgear SHC XMP 320.Q4: What are the characteristicsof Mobilgear SHC XMP 320 thatmake it an excellent productfor wind turbine gearboxes?A4: We work in close co-operation withthe Original Equipment Manufacturersworldwide to formulate superior lubricanttechnology that addresses operationalchallenges encountered in the mostharsh environments such as theoffshore energy sector.A case in point, Mobilgear SHC XMP 320is designed to provide optimumequipment protection andextend the oil life even underthe extreme conditions windturbines endure.This high performance gearoil is now being used to protectmore than 40,000 wind turbinegearboxes worldwide.Rob PearsExxonMobil Fuels &Lubricantswww.exxonmobil.co.ukClick to view more info82 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 83

LubricantsLubricantsPerfect balance?how to improve turbine reliabilitywithout it costing the earthIn an environment where downtime for even one turbinecan cost thousands, it is crucial that wind farm operatorsensure they can rely on their equipment.At the same time, across theindustry there is a big drivetowards reducing cost andmaking wind energy moreprofitable and competitive toconventional energy sources.Wind turbines are certainlybecoming cheaper, and for somewind farm projects manufacturersare just breaking even on theturbine assets to gain the moreprofitable service business, whichcan last anything up to 20 years.Some estimates are that the industry is cutting out up to 30per cent of its operating costs through reducing downtime andimproving efficiency of turbines in order to drive better profits,with the ultimate aim of becoming a mainstream, widely usedpower source.While this is all good news, it means that there is more pressurethan ever on wind farms to cut costs, without compromisingoutput. It shouldn’t be the case that more reliable equipment costsmore. In fact in this situation, cost andreliability of equipment go hand in hand.Wind turbines need to be performing aseffectively as possible, and wind farmoperators need to be confident they canrely on them in order to drive down costsacross the board.How to ensure reliabilityThe best way to achieve a balancebetween cost and reliability is to ensureturbines are running regularly, withoutpushing the equipment to produceevery last possible energy output.Imagine you have two cars next to eachother at a set of traffic lights – one revshis engine and speeds off as soon as the lights change, anotherdrives away slowly but surely. It doesn’t take an engineer to workout which of these two car engines will last longer.The same logic can be applied to wind turbines – while somewind farms will push a turbine to produce every last megawattas quickly as possible, other operators will take a ‘slowly butsurely’ approach. In the same way that both drivers at the trafficlights will probably arrive home at the same time, the turbines willproduce similar amounts of power, but a more steady approachpreserves the life of the turbine, which ultimately saves money.The obvious advantage of this is that if the lubricant isperforming well, it won’t need changing which savessubstantial costs.The decision is made about whether to change the oil basedon a small sample being taken, and the condition of the oilbeing judged from that. This is a trend we fully support hereat Castrol Industrial as it saves both cost and waste, and wehave developed a number of diagnostic tools such as CastrolLabCheck and Castrol Predict, to help operators make thisdecision.It’s important to remember that some specialist lubricants alsohave the capacity to repair damage caused to gearboxes –micropitting and bearing failure rank as the highest cause ofdowntime, and having a lubricant to address these problemscan save money in the long term.Ultimately, the right choice of lubricant can extend the lifeof gearboxes and the turbines they run, which obviouslyrepresents substantial cost savings.Future industry growthThe pressure to reduce cost has bought about many changeswithin the wind industry. However we shouldn’t be afraid ofthis – operators should embrace these changes and workwith suppliers to create wind farms that are as cost effectiveand reliable as possible.To ensure they have optimum reliability combined with costsavings, wind farm operators should take into account bothhow they operate the wind turbines and the performance ofthe lubricants they’re using to drive them.These significant trends in the wind business will in time growthe industry and increase consumption of wind power acrossthe board, which in the long term can only be a good thing forall of us.charter@tidal-transit.comtidal-transit.comUnit 2 Docking Rural Workshops, Station Road, Docking, Norfolk PE31 8LT Tel: +44 1485 518 760Avoiding wear and tearIn line with this trend towards preserving turbine life to ensurecosts are kept down and profits are increased, lubricantmanufacturers are working hand in hand with the industry toextend the life of gear oils and bearing greases, so downtimecaused by oil changes is kept to a minimum. The technology maybe some way off, but ultimately why shouldn’t a gear oil last aslong as the gears it lubricates?Sven ThiesenGlobal Key Account ManagerCastrol Industrialwww.castrol.comOne trend in the market at the moment has the potential to havea substantial impact on running costs. O&M Teams are movingaway from fixed oil change intervals to ‘condition-based’ oilchanges – essentially only changing the oil when necessary.84 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 85

legal eagleslegal eaglesBuilding on firmfoundationsOffshore construction projects,whether for renewable energydevelopment or otherwise, arecomplex projects requiring thecontractual arrangement and risksharing associated with the designand construction of the project,together with operation followingconstruction, to be carefullyconsidered.Recent case studyThe need for certainty in suchcontracts was highlighted in the recentcase of MT Hoggard A/S v E.ONClimate Renewables UK; Robin RiggEast Limited (1); E.ON Climate andRenewables UK Robin Rigg WestLimited (2).Major undertakingAs the Court said in its judgmentthe construction of offshore windfarms requires the use of substantialcontractors plant and equipment andis a major undertaking. The claimantin this case (MTH) contracted with thedefendants (E.ON) in December 2006to design, manufacture, deliver, installand commission the foundations for60 wind turbine generators (WTGs)and two substations for the RobinRigg Wind Farm in the Solway Firthwith a contract value in excess of€100,000,000.Both parties to the contract (and thelitigation) were major and sophisticatedcommercial concerns.Contract specificsThe foundation contract was the earlycontract, or one of them, dependentupon which there would be follow oncontracts for the placing of the windturbines.Under the contract MTH was to provide ajack up barge, the use of which was to beintegral to the installation of the monopilesand transition pieces that together wouldform the foundations of the WTGs. Thejack up barge selected was not selfpropelling and required ancillary equipmentto assist it in its operations and thereforeother vessels and equipment would berequired at not insignificant costs.After the execution of the contract andwhile the works were in progress thejack up barge proved to be inadequatefor the task which it was meant to carryout. It failed to install the foundationsrequired and the engineer under thecontract issued three variation orderswhich required the substitution of adifferent vessel to do the installation workwhich, under the terms of the contract,was previously to be done by the jack upbarge.Preliminary issues andarrangement changesIn order to deal effectively with the litigationthe parties agreed a number of preliminaryissues which it required the Court todetermine prior to a full hearing.A central feature of the changedarrangements was that whereas originallyMTH had been responsible for hiring thejack up barge and providing it for thecontract at its cost the new vessel washired directly by E.ON which then providedit on a free issue basis to MTH to managethe installation process.The contract between the parties madeprovision for the valuation of variationorders but the parties were unable toagree the financial consequences of thechanges in arrangements, which gave riseto the proceedings and the preliminaryissues. MTH was of the view that whatshould be omitted was a componentof the original contract price included inthe price of the jack up barge makingdue allowance for the fact that it carriedout two of the sixty two foundationinstallations.However, E.ON’s position was thatthe deduction should be the product ofapplying a rate or alternatively a cost ofthe amount of time which E.ON allegedthe jack up would have taken to carry outthe contract works if it had in fact beenpermitted to do so.The contract entered into by the partieswas bespoke and adopted a carefullydeveloped contractual structure inseveral parts with an agreed hierarchyof contractual documents. Withinthat structure it provided a detailedseries of provisions that set out thefinancial consequences to the parties ofperformance and contractual default.Early revisionsVery soon after the jack up barge wasmobilised to site it became apparent thatit would be unable to keep up with thecontractual timeframe and a number ofearly revisions of the contract programmewere discussed leading to contractmanagement improvement notices beingissued under the terms of the contract.MTH investigated the possibility ofbringing a second installation spreadto the site but no suitable vessels wereavailable until a substantial period afterthe commencement of the contract.Discussions took place between theparties to try and find a solution but nonewas identified.When the jack up barge commencedoperations there were a number ofissues arising as a consequence of theperformance of the jack up.Eventually the engineer sent to MTH avariation request stating that E.ON hadsecured the services of an alternativevessel and requested MTH to examine theutilisation of the alternative to install thefoundations in order to mitigate delays. Itwas proposed that E.ON would contractdirect for the provision of the alternativevessel with a marine crew and that MTHwould provide supervision on the vesseland manage and co-ordinate the overallfoundation installation.Formalised arrangementsThe contractual arrangements wereformalised at the end of 2007, following asubstantial delay.The case essentially related to contractualinterpretation, the principles of which arewell known. Interpretation of a contract isthe ascertainment of the meaning whichthe contract would convey to a reasonableperson having all the backgroundknowledge which would reasonablyhave been available for the parties in thatparticular situation which they were at, atthe time of the contract.The Court’s enquiry will start and usuallyfinish by asking what is the ordinarymeaning of the words used. Languagehowever is flexible and the meaning ofwords is sensitive to syntax and contextso that the natural meaning of words inone sentence may be quite unnaturalin another. In choosing the appropriatemeaning the contextual scene is usually ofparamount importance. For these reasonsindividual words and phrases in a contractshould be interpreted in the context of thecontract as a whole.Court findingsThe Court found that where in acommercial contract the words usedcan be said to have a normal or naturalmeaning and admit only one interpretationthe Court will almost always adopt thatinterpretation even if the result seemsunreasonable. However even in sucha case the Court recognises that if theinterpretation leads to a conclusion that“flouts business common sense it mustyield to business common sense.”The Court determined that what waspermissible was to recognise thatthe parties were two substantial andsophisticated contracting parties. TheCourt also found it permissible to take theview that the contract was devised so asto provide a comprehensive statement ofthe rights, obligations and remedies of theparties and that therefore, the probableanswer to the competing submissions ofthe parties was to be found within the fourcorners of the contract itself.Contractually from the Court’s point ofview it was of no concern of E.ON whetherMTH had overpriced or underpriced or anypart of the works.The Court upheld the submissions ofMTH and concluded that the engineer’sobjective in adjusting the contract priceunder the bespoke contract was toascertain and deduct the component ofthe original contract price relating to theprovision of the jack up barge.Consideration and careFrom the above it can be seen thateven when the parties are commercial,astute and familiar with operatingwithin the field of activity to which thecontract relates substantial issues – thedifference in value between the partieswas almost €40,000,000 – can arise.Considerable care therefore needs tobe taken in the preparation and draftingof these complex projects and theassessment of future risk.Martin CollingwoodAndrew Jacksonwww.andrewjackson.co.ukClick to view more info86 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 87

legal eaglesRecent Planning Problems impactingon Land based Wind TurbinesPlanning problems continue to impacton the placing of land based windturbines as can be seen from thejudgement of the Administrative Courton 15th April 2013 whereby RWENpower Renewables Ltd succeededin its claim for judicial review of MiltonKeynes Councils SupplementaryPlanning Document (SPD).The SPD attempted to fix minimumseparation distances between windturbines and residential properties thatwere different from those already set outin the local plan. The Court quashedthe entire SPD (even though parts of itdelineating spacing between turbinesand bridleways and footpaths was not inconflict with the local plan). The Councilhave indicated that they are appealing thedecision, so it isn’t over yet.RWE pointed out to the Council that itsSPD conflicted with the Council’s localplan and also with government policy.RWE’s claim for judicial review beforethe Court succeeded on a single ground,namely that the distances set out inthe SPD were in conflict with the localplan and such a conflict is a breach ofregulation 8 (3) of the Town and CountryPlanning (Local Planning) EnglandRegulations 2012 which states that anypolicies in an SPD must not conflict withan adopted development plan. There wasa conflict between some of the spacingrequirements in the SPD and the adopteddevelopment plan so the entire SPD wasquashed.Other key findingsWhether or not there is conflict in aparticular case is determined by a testof – would a reasonable council concludethat the SPD was not in conflict withthe local plan? Therefore it is not a purequestion of interpretation for the Court.The provisions of the TCP Regulations2012 defining which documents amountto SPDs and which local plans wereextremely hard to interpret. The questionof whether the document should havebeen adopted as a development planningdocument (and therefore subject toindependent examination in public andassessment of its “soundness”) ratherthan as an SPD was not one for theCouncil’s discretion.In adopting the SPD the Council had takenproper account of substantive nationalplanning policies which give strongencouragement to wind energy. Thewording of the SPD did not prevent theCouncil from assessing the acceptabilityof visual and noise impact of wind turbineson a case by case basis.CommentThe case raises important issues aboutcompliance of SPDs with adopted localand national policies.It also illustrates the tensions between theNational Planning Policy Framework whichhas a presumption in favour of sustainabledevelopment and the Localism Act 2011which gives local authorities more flexibilityin relation to local plans.Gareth HeveyDenison Tillwww.denisontill.comAre you looking for a specialistservice supplier with experience inthe wind energy industry?With 1200+ companies listed, it is the websiteto find an expertTheCommunicationHub for theWind EnergyIndustrylegal eaglesto foresee or not toforeseeExploring the complexity of delays in theoffshore environmentThis article touches on the variouschallenges encountered in theanalysis of a contractor’s contractualentitlement to extensions of timeand additional costs incurred duringthe offshore installation of monopilefoundations to an offshore wind farm.LiabilityMore importantly, this article highlightsissues concerning where liability lies inrelation to delay events and additional costs,and may provide some food for thoughtwhen drawing up conditions of contract forfuture installation works. Despite numerouspages of conditions, lengthy schedulesand extensive employer’s requirementsincorporating innumerable appendices,annexes, technical requirements, andresponsibility matrixes the answers tocertain practical issues may not always beimmediately apparent.An exampleConsider a contract where the employerprovides and makes available installationvessels free of charge in accordance withthe scope of supply and as defined in theemployer’s requirements, to enable thecontractor to execute the works.In the event that the vessels are not insound operational condition, safe and fitfor use as set down in the contract or theemployer was otherwise in breach of itsobligations, then the contractor was entitledto give notice and apply for an extension oftime to any key date and/or of the time forcompletion and also payment of additionalcosts, subject to other criteria on timing ofsubmissions and form being met.This is mirrored under the extension of timeclause which provides that the contractormay claim for an extension of time if theworks are or will be delayed by a breachor default by the employer in providing theinstallation vessels. There’s nothing unusualin any of that you may say.ResponsibiltyMoreover, the contract also requires thatthe employer shall be responsible forensuring that the employer’s personnel andthe employer’s other contractors on the sitecooperate with the contractor’s efforts.A further contractual provision obligesthe contractor to afford appropriateopportunities to the employer’s personnel,other contractors employed by theemployer, and the personnel of any legallyconstituted public authority to carry outwork. However, it also provides thatany such opportunity shall constitute avariation if and to the extent that it, or thecost incurred by it, were ‘unforeseeable’.The contractor argued that it was notforeseeable that it would be delayed asa result of various matters notified to theemployer; and if the employer did notaccept that there had been a variationthen any changes to the employer’srequirements or the works (scope and/or method of working) would amountto a breach of the contract or defaultthereunder by the employer and/ordelay, impediment or prevention causedby or attributable to the employer, theemployer’s personnel, or the employer’sother contractors on the site.Recognition of ‘unforeseeable’Whilst recognising that responsibilityfor adverse weather and all mechanicalbreakdowns to the installation vesselsincluding amongst others, hydraulicleaks, crane breakdowns, and leg jackingproblems and the demonstrated criticaldelay to the schedule of installation restswith the employer, the liability for otherclaimed delays was not so clear cutand more precisely, could not be readilyconsidered as ‘unforeseeable’.The term ‘unforeseeable’ was simplydefined as meaning not reasonablyforeseeable by an experienced contractorby the base date. Clearly this is notparticularly helpful.Now consider the followingdelaying events…• Compliance with the directions of suchpersonnel as the marine warrantysurveyor• The vessel master and the liftingsupervisor on the employer’s vesselsor the harbour authoritiesAlso consider…• Crew changes by the vessel operator• Jacking down for bunkering of fuel orwater• Rest periods by the vessel engineer• Loading of stores and spare parts inport• Waiting on ferry traffic or the harbourpilot• Or even waiting for the arrival of themarine mammal observer to board theinstallation vesselAll of the foregoing matters could beconsidered as ordinary everyday activitiesassociated with the running of a vessel ona 24/7 basis. Arguably, waiting on porttraffic in a working port environment is astoppage which is neither unexpected nor‘unforeseeable’.Other considerations?Should such activities be viewed asexamples of delay, impediment orprevention attributable to the employer,the employer’s personnel, or theemployer’s other contractors on the siteand should such operations be consideredas a variation or as giving rise to anextension of time and additional costs?ClarityAs in all such matters the answers shouldlie in the express contract wording.Clarity in the drafting of the conditions ofcontract should prevail to ensure all partiesrecognise where the liability for delayingevents and the financial consequences fall.Michael TurgooseDriver Trett UKwww.drivertrett.com88 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 89

legal eagleslegal eaglesContractual RiskAt a recent Wind Industry Event a verysenior procurement director madereference to the trend in contractstructures towards partnering,commenting that the only partneringhe understood was his marriage.Understanding differentcontractsThe increasing trend towards describingcontracts as co-operation agreements,partnering agreements, collaborationagreements, alliancing contract etcsometimes makes me wonder if thepeople who use the terminologyunderstand the differentiating features ofdifferent types of contracts and over thepast month or so since that conference Ihave asked people in the industry aboutthe nomenclature of contracts.Differing viewsThe responses suggest that there is adifferent view of the terms used dependingon who you ask and which area ofbusiness they are in. For an industry sofocused on risk assessment and allocationit is strange that the many involved in theindustry don’t fully understand the legaldistinctions which apply to the terminologyof types of contract leading to a situationwhere the terms are used interchangeably.This may arise from the use of manydifferent consultants in the supply chainand a desire on the part of developers tosave on the fees paid to lawyers, but alsoI suspect from consultants expressingcompetence in drafting, negotiating andclosing contracts.The desire for the developer to havea single source advisory team andcommercial pressures no doubt also havetheir part to play. The risk in this approachis something that goes largely ignored.The devil in the detailRecent high profile disputes on OffshoreWind projects suggest that lack ofattention to the detail of the contract canlead to lengthy and expensive disputes.Sometimes outcomes are matters of goodluck rather good drafting.So the issue becomes a choice of whichis the best form of contract. Is NEC3 thebest approach for Hinkley C, was NEC thebest approach for Glendoe and how doyou decide on the approach?Weighing up theoptionsSome advisors willhave a preferred formof contract because thatis what they are familiarwith. In fact the choiceof form of contract is aprimary factor in projectdelivery risk management.Getting the choice ofcontract wrong can lead tosignificant areas of risk. An example of thiscan be seen in alliancing contracts whencompared to collaboration agreements.In simple terms an alliance contract is justthat. It is bespoke agreement to servicethe needs of delivering a project. It is nota partnering agreement, a partnership aframework or a collaboration agreement.Purists believe that an alliancing contractshould have no dispute resolution processbecause of the nature of the contractwhich makes the parties subservient tothe alliance for the purpose of delivering aproject. Risk and cost sharing are on veryspecific basis.Other forms have particularstructures which meet the needs ofthe project.Professional adviceChoosing the right one is a goodrisk management exercise.Involving lawyers in the processis not only a good idea it can helpachieve an outcome which is thepreferred solution for the project.Understanding of contract assemblyfor a particular purpose is whatcommercial lawyers practising in thesector are trained to do.It should be remembered that acontract is essentially a statementof legal obligations and a deepunderstanding of the legal principlesbehind drafting of contracts is essential totheir effective management.Selecting the best form is not a matter offamiliarity for lawyers it is using the bestapproach to ensure the client needs arethe pre-eminent concern.Andrew RentonBird & Bird LLPwww.twobirds.comOnshore windlessons to be learnedWe are now on the second generation of onshorewind farms. Much has been learned technically andoperationally, but what lessons have been learned on thecontract side?Civils contractThe civils contract has been the origin of most of the disputesand there have been many. This is usually design and build withan originating technical specification from the client.Three major sources of disputes have emergedgenerally…• Design issues• Risk on earthworks• Risk during extended maintenance periodsDesign issuesThe main design issue has been around the adequacy of theturbine base design. PI insurers have been meeting claimsagainst designers for failure to design to meet the dynamicloadings imposed by the turbines. These disputes are now tailingoff as the design has developed.This has affected the design liability provisions in the civilscontract. Caps on or exclusions of liability for consequential lossare demanded as a matter of course by contractors.Where the turbine suppliers’ requirements are incorporatedwithin the civils contract, which is inevitably the case, there is realscope for conflict between them and the technical specification.A clear order of precedence of documents within the contract isneeded.EarthworksSlopes and gradients, and use of on-site material are criticalto the contractor’s price. The planning permission will normallydictate much of what can be done earthworks-wise with oftena ‘tolerance’ area, within which the turbine bases and thelocation of the access roads may be sited. These may notbe achievable. The question often raised is: when does the‘difficult to achieve’ in the way of gradients and slopes becomeimpossible? Impossibility of performance may be a ‘get out’ forthe contractor- simply being more expensive to achieve thananticipated, is not.Risk during extended maintenance periodsThe defects liability period under the civils contract is oftenset at two years. As well as an obligation to rectify defects,employers usually impose ongoing maintenance obligations onthe contractor during that period. The issue that often arises iswhere a repairing obligation ends and a maintenance obligationbegins. The turbine supplier may well have obtained earlypossession of site roads and groups of turbine bases beforeoverall completion. This can cause significant damage to theroads.Where responsibility for maintaining these roads rests with thecontractor until the end of the defects period, an issue that oftenarises is whether a contractor’s maintenance obligation extendsto repairs required as a result of the turbine delivery, rather thansimple wear and tear. Where the roads ought to have beendesigned to withstand turbine delivery, if they fail to do so, thisED’s Note This is an abridgedversion - we recommend youread the full text via the link atthe end of article.may constitute adefect under thecontract.These are just someexamples of thecommon issues ofcontention in thesecontracts.Lindy Patterson QCDundas & Wilsonwww.dundaswilson.comClick to viewmore info90 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 91

DISTRIBUTED WINDHonorary Windcrop degrees celebrates for first northernindustry install with leaders 500th turbineChampagne corks were poppingas staff from a market-leading windturbine company celebrated their firstinstallation in the north of England,marking their 500th turbine in theground to date.Branching outThe milestone comes as the business,based in Norfolk, branches into boththe north and south west of the country,opening new offices in Yorkshire andCornwall, due to increasing demand for its15m high, 5kW systems.Managing director and founder of thebusiness, John Moore, said: “We aredelighted to be celebrating this milestonefor Windcrop and the small wind industry.Savings“From our Norfolk start-up with twosystems in 2009, our current fleet of 500will generate around 80GWh of electricityduring their 20 year life. Each systemwill save the site owner around £500a year in electricity and this will rise aselectricity prices increase in the future.“As well as helping people in tougheconomic times, Windcrop’s existingturbines will save the environment froman estimated 50,000 tons of carbondioxide by 2033 by replacing fossilfuel resources and due to our uniqueinstallation method we have alreadysaved more than 1,500 tons of CO2 byusing helical piles instead of concrete.”Happy customersSmallholder Anthony Hargreaves, 75,and his wife Pat, 73, were the happycustomers to have the landmark turbineerected at their 16 acre farm in Silsden,West Yorkshire.Staff from Windcrop joined the couplefor a celebratory glass of champagnerecently.“To be honest, for us, it’s about savingas much money as we possibly can”commented Mr Hargreaves. “We have anumber of horses, dogs and chickens onthe farm and electricity bills just keep onrising.“We already had solar panels, but wewere keen to save as much as possible,so it works really well to have bothsystems running side by side.”Based on Windrop’s current fleetperformance, the Hargreaves’ areexpected to save £342 a year on theirelectricity bills with their new turbine,which amounts to a £11,318 saving overthe next 20 years.Environmental considerationsAs well as making considerable savings ontheir bills, the family will also be doing theirbit for the environment by reducing theircarbon footprint and saving an estimated90 tons of carbon dioxide by 2033.Mr Hargreaves added: “I am reallypleased with the turbine. The guys whoinstalled it were great, only taking a day,and it’s so quiet the animals don’t evennotice it.”Windcrop Ltdwww.windcrop.co.ukDISTRIBUTED WINDNext-generationwind turbinetechnologyincreases return oninvestmentNorthern Power Systems, a nextgenerationwind turbine technologycompany and leading manufacturer ofpermanent magnet direct-drive windturbines, has further expanded itsproduct offerings with two new turbinemodels specifically designed for lowwind sites.Proven technologyBoth the NPS 60-23 and the NPS 100-24 are based on the proven NPS 100-21platform, but leverage product featuresthat produce higher energy capturein low winds while reducing the noiseprofile of the turbine, enabling more sitingopportunities for the owner. The Companyhas successfully deployed more than 20 ofthese turbines in the United States, UnitedKingdom and Italy during 2012 and 2013,demonstrating the success of the design.Increased value“NPS is committed to deliveringenhanced offerings that lower costsand increase performance for turbineowners. We are increasing the valueproposition of our already highly-capableNPS turbines through an integrated roadmapof expanded product and servicesofferings, of which our proven low windenhancements are just one example,”stated Troy Patton, President and CEO,Northern Power Systems.The NPS Low Wind turbine fleet hassurpassed 50,000 operational hours withavailability in excess of 97%, and hasgenerated more than 1,500 MWh of clean,renewable energy, enough to power morethan 150 US (or 450 UK) homes for an entireyear. These improved models are optimisedfor low wind and yield comparatively moreenergy in low wind regimes.SpecificationsThe NPS 100-24 is based on the provenplatform of the NPS 100-21 which wasoriginally designed to service remoteareas such as Alaska, where regularmaintenance is not an option. TheNPS 100 is a highly reliable turbine thatutilises permanent magnet direct-drivetechnology and has fewer moving partsthan a conventional gear-box based windturbine. The larger rotor diameter, lowerrpm and tip speed of the NPS 100-24 and60-23 makes for quieter operation, whilethe longer blades capture more energy atlower wind speeds. The NPS 60 modelgenerates 59.9kW rated power and isutilised in areas where grid connectioncapacity is a constraint.Case studyScottish farmer Mervyn Wallace recentlyinstalled an NPS 60 at his farm, his secondNorthern Power Systems wind turbine.“I’m excited that Northern Power cameout with a new turbine that is designedspecifically for lower wind speeds. I amvery pleased with the revenue that bothof my Northern Power turbines are nowearning for me. NPS turbines are anexcellent return on capital invested.”With over 2.5 million run-time hours acrossits fleet, Northern Power turbines providecustomers with clean, cost effectiverenewable energy. The quiet, low profileturbines with multiple tower and rotoroptions fit perfectly in remote locations aswell as in agricultural and industrial areas.The turbines’ reliable, safe and simpleoperation gives owners peace of mind whiledelivering the highest potential opportunityfor customers to maximise their returns.Northern Power Systemswww.northernpower.com94 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 95

COMPANY PROFILECOMPANY PROFILE100 years‘Fifty Years to FirstResearch and DevelopmentSpencer’s main Research andDevelopment unit merged with theStokes Laboratories at the new facility atHuthwaite in Nottinghamshire which isnow the primary production hub for the fullcombined product range.experience in coatingsmanufacturingSpencer Coatings Ltd has been manufacturing high performance coatingsand industrial paints for over one hundred years in the UK.Key industrial sectors for the productranges include oil, water and gaspipelines, both full internal and externalprotection and the onsite protection offield joints and pipeline rehabilitation.Offshore oil and gas structures, marinestructures and bridges are also fullyprotected with Spencer Coatings highperformance range of coatings.Thirty years maintenance freeWithin the high performance range isAcothane solvent free polyurethane with aproven thirty years maintenance free trackrecord for steel and concrete in a widevariety of industries including off shoreand marine structures, bridges and waterretaining structures.This outstanding product has manyapplications for the protection of landbased and off shore wind energy structuresincluding towers, splash zones, mono piles,jackets and sub-sea steel work.Maintenance’ now a possibilityWith proven thirty years maintenance freetrack record the often flagged ‘Fifty Yearsto First Maintenance’ target is now a realpossibility when this product is correctlyspecified and applied.Acquisition andfurther growthSpencer Coatings Ltdbecame the largestindependent coatingsmanufacturer in the UKin 2012 following theacquisition of StokesPaints.Employing in excessof one hundred peoplethe enlarged SpencerCoatings will have aturnover of more than£16 million in 2013with a dedicatedplan for growth in thecompany’s globalmarkets.Aberdeen HQThe Aberdeenbased company willmaintain its corporateheadquarters in theGranite City, whichis also the base forits Scotland and North Sea sales andtechnical services.A new distribution and technical centrehas been established in Aberdeen to carryout colour finishing and will stock productsfor customers in Scotland includingcustomers operating in the North Sea Oiland Gas industry.200 years combined experienceThe company will build upon more thantwo hundred years of combined coatingsexperience that has been amassed bythe two original businesses and will enjoystrong positions in a number of keyinternational sectors including oil and gas,infrastructure, pipelines and industrial OEM.SuccessesAmong its recent successes, prior to theacquisition, they obtained approval fromShell Global for its Transocean rangeof coating systems for the protection ofNorth Sea assets.It also has NORSOK approval, essentialfor the supply of protective coatings foruse in oil and gas structures in the NorthSea and in other important regions aroundthe world.Other marketsAs well as supplying the important oil andgas sector the augmented company hasstrong positions in other markets. StokesPaints is the largest supplier of productsto protect the country’s vast array ofelectricity pylons from corrosion which isa crucial to ensure efficient distribution ofelectricity around theUK.UK lead globaloperationMany UKand overseasmanufacturingcompanies useSpencer and Stokesproducts to addvalue by providinga range of benefitssuch as corrosion protection, colour, andprotection against abrasion, erosion andfire.Spencer Coatings has built a solidpresence in the energy sector supplychain and is proud to be an all Britishoperation owned and run by UK residentsand operating in global markets.Spencer Coatingswww.spencercoatings.co.ukClick to view more info96 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 97

OFFSHORE ACCOMMODATIONOFFSHORE ACCOMMODATIONA Bed forthe Night?Offshore accommodation has longbeen associated with the needs ofthe oil and gas industry. Offshorewind technicians however, havegrown accustomed to daily, andoften lengthy, vessel transits. Untilrecently the concept of turbinemaintenance teams being stationedat their respective sites had not beenintegrated into long term O&M plans.Regular accessThis year’s notably long winter hashighlighted the necessity of regularaccess to the turbines, with maintenanceschedules slipping and increaseddowntime encountered.Numerous UK sites have utilised largepassenger vessels including Lynn andInner Dowsing, Lincs, Greater Gabbardand recently commissioned London Array,optimising weather windows, offeringunscheduled maintenance and reactivetroubleshooting.Service Operation Vessel (SOV)Large passenger vessels and daughtercraft have eased the concernssurrounding lengthy transfers; howeverthey do not solve the problem of excessivewave height, making ship to turbinetransfers unfeasible. One solution is the“Service Operation Vessel” (SOV).This vessel is large enough to stay outat sea for long periods, housing a largenumber of technicians, yet small enoughto manoeuvre between structures in thefield. The recently converted DP Gezinaand the DP Galyna are fitting examples.The installation of a heave compensatedgangway and DP2 promises transfersin up to 3m waves and a refurbishmentof accommodation facilities means thevessels can house up to 60 technicians.Rapid expansionSOV’s have the potential to expand rapidlyover the coming decade due to theirperceived compatibility with the needsof offshore wind. However, despite theircapacity, locality to site and capabilityof working in less favourable conditions,delivering up to 60 technicians to theirrespective turbines from one vesseltakes up valuable maintenance timewith unscheduled problems potentiallyimpacting the whole team.IntegrationNew logistical concepts will continueto be integrated into construction andmaintenance schedules in order tooptimise wind farm capacity and reduceOPEX costs. There are currently 360WFSVs (including those ordered or underconstruction) in the market, with numberscontinuing to rise. Whilst the SOV is nota panacea to the challenges of O&M, it isnow on the menu of available solutions.The quantity of SOVs is minimal and theireffectiveness remains unknown until theirdeployment on upcoming offshore winddevelopments.4C Offshorewww.4coffshore.comClick to view more infoDelivering on customers’ needswhenever and whereverWhen you are aboard anoffshore accommodationplatform 30 miles from thenearest coastline you can’t justpop to the local shop if you runout of supplies!Thanks to Hutton’s, the UK’sleading ship supplier, offshoreindustry customers can beconfident that their supplyrequirements will be met whereverthey are.Working togetherWorking closely with customerssuch as C-Bed and SWE Offshorein the offshore renewables and windfarmsectors, the company ensures a reliablesupply of fresh and frozen produce(provisions), medical equipment and spareparts, delivering 24/7, 365 days a year andwhatever the weather.Rob Ludlam, Hutton’s OffshoreRenewables Divisional Manager, explains:“Accommodation vessels by their verydefinition carry with them a unique andsometimes challenging set of operationalrequirements, the most important beingre-supply while in position offshore.”Often these accommodation vesselsare floating hotels with a vast array ofrequirements like any shore-based hotel.Keeping costs low within tight budgetsis a key factor for this industry. Robsays: “Through our years of experiencewe fully understand the offshore windindustry and its need to increaseefficiency and make cost reductions toachieve the goal of £100 per mWhr fromits current level of between £130 - £140per mWhr.”Achieving targetsTo help customers to achieve thesetargets Hutton’s has developed a widerange of solutions covering either offshoresupply or port-based supply whichinclude…• Supply consolidation• Administrative support to produce timesavings• A ‘responsible person’ service to takecharge of medical supplies andmanage stock expiration dates• Liaison with a dedicated accountmanager to provide effective andcontinuous customer serviceOne-stop-shopRob outlines: “Here at Hutton’s we canprovide a one-stop-shop service. Onbehalf of our clients we can overseeall the links in their supply chain fromsupply, warehousing and delivery tomarine managers, port authorities andvessel masters. Simplifying the processin this way takes away the burden forcustomers, allowing them to focus ontheir busy industry safe in the knowledgethat supplies are running smoothlythanks to Hutton’s.”Attention to detailAttention to detail is also extremelyimportant to this vibrant industry sector asany mistakes would have repercussionsall the way down the chain and evenadversely affect offshore construction.The company has developed effectivesystems to ensure a seamless service totheir customers including an electronicordering system which has proved a realsuccess with customers. Through thesemeans we ensure that customers receiveexactly what they order correctly andquickly, eliminating any opportunity formisunderstanding.Hutton & Co (Ships Chandlers) Ltdwww.huttons-chandlers.comAre you looking for a specialist service supplierwith experience in the wind energy industry?With 1200+ companies listed, it is the websiteto find an expertTheCommunicationHub for theWind EnergyIndustry100 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 101

OFFSHORE ACCOMMODATIONOFFSHORE ACCOMMODATIONSeaNova LQpermanentliving quartersaccommodationSeaNova is a multipurpose Minimum Facilities Platform(MFP) that can be configured for Oil & Gas production(SeaNova), as a sub-station (SeaNode) or a permanentLiving Quarter’s accommodation SeaNova LQ)Known costs and fixed on contractThe Ocean Resource MFP series is free standing and selfinstalling, therefore it is fully built and configured in dock, prior tobeing floated on its buoyant Gravity Base Structure (GBS) andtowed out by standard offshore tugs for deployment; little or nosea bed preparation is required meaning that construction anddeployment costs are known to the client and fixed on contract.Removal and re-deploymentA feature of considerable advantage is SeaNova LQ’s abilityto be easily and cheaply removed and re-deployed, making itparticularly attractive to the sequential development of arrays ormultiple areasSpecificationsThe Ocean Resource MFP can be designed with a top sideweight of up to 9000 tonnes for operation in waters of up to 120metres. SeaNova LQ can be scaled as required, but in the Northand Irish Seas, the platform will typically be configured to provideaccommodation modules, helideck and associated servicesto support 100 personnel in permanent living quarters. Suchan MFP unit would have an applied loading of less than 2000tonnes and would be initially built and deployed turnkey for circa£15M, and then redeployed later for less than £500K each time.Major refits and through life servicing would be accomplishedback in port.Are you prepared for Sudden CardiacArrest whilst Living Offshore?Sudden Cardiac Arrest occurswhen an electrical malfunction inthe heart causes it to stop pumpingblood causing uncontrolledquivering of the heart chambers,leading to unconsciousnessand death in minutes. The onlyeffective treatment for a SuddenCardiac Arrest is immediate CPRand defibrillation. An AutomatedExternal Defibrillator (AED) is asmall, lightweight device whichshocks the heart back into anormal rhythm. The use of an AED,within the first three minutes ofan arrest, can increase a victim’schance of survival from 6% to 74%.PreparednessSudden Cardiac Arrest does notdiscriminate and it can affect anyone,anywhere, anytime regardless of age,gender and fitness levels. It is vital thatthe equipment and relevant training is inplace to deal with an emergency shouldone occur.Offshore accommodationis often isolated anddifficult to reach. Althoughemergency responseplans should be in place,quite often there will not beenough time to provide thepatient with the immediatecare they require.Consideration of distanceand time to emergencycare is necessary, moreimportantly for those livingoffshore for sustainedperiods of time.Time factorsAfter a patient hascollapsed from SuddenCardiac Arrest, or aftersuffering a heart attack,they lose between 10%and 14% of their chanceof survival every minute.After ten minutes, theopportunity to resuscitateTypically the SeaNova LQ MFP would consist of a cellar deckwith multiple further decks configured above it as desired, allbuilt to a modular design. Accommodation units will also beeasily configured and arranged in conjunction with a sub-station(SeaNode) facility, or connected to an adjacent major facility bymeans of an air bridge.PracticalitiesAs the MFP is a simple un-braced 4-legged structure, it has nocomplicated K-joints or nodes to inspect. The exposed areaof steel in the splash zone or beneath Mean Sea Level (MSL) isless than for a similar performance conventional platform; hencecorrosion and marine growth are less problematic. Cleaningmarine growth is a relatively easy operation. The legs are dry andare inspected internally and because of this simpler inspectionregime, ongoing maintenance costs are considerably reduced.Proven operationOcean Resource’s Sea Nova series MFP Platform System is ahighly flexible design that is fully certified and already proven.Examples have been operating continuously and successfully inthe North and Irish seas for over 15 years.Ocean Resourcewww.oceanresource.co.ukClick to view more infois essentially over. In an isolated environment, such as that onan offshore wind farm, the need for higher level life supportand access to such life-saving equipment is more importantthan ever. To recognise if a person has collapsed due toSudden Cardiac Arrest their breathing will need to be checkedfor ten seconds. If the patient is unconscious and showingno signs of breathing, CPR must be carried out immediately,followed by a shock from a defibrillator as soon as the deviceis made available.Risk managementThe risk assessment and risk management of an offshorewind farm should take into account the living arrangementsof anyone living offshore for any period of time. The accessto advanced care and the emergency services needs tobe considered and procedures should be put in place tominimise any risk of heart related emergencies, but also toappropriately deal with the situation should one occur. Heartscreening may be appropriate to identify any underlying heartconditions before moving offshore.Life support trainingEnsuring heart health among staff, providing life support trainingand access to a defibrillator will play a key role in severelyreducing the number of cardiac deaths. AEDs are extremelysimple to use and will guide the rescuer through the wholeprocess. With some basic training anyone living offshore will beable to save a life.Defibshopwww.defibshop.co.uk+44 (0)3333 441113A new ApproAchto AviAtion impAct Assessments...• pre-planning site assessments• Field surveys (accurate quantification of impact)• Full aviation impact assessments• impartial, expert advice from professionalswith 20+ years’ experience in communicationsengineering & Air traffic managementBecause measurement isbetter than prediction.Aerostat surveys Ltd. +44 (0)3333 441113www.aerostat.co.uk enquiries@aerostat.co.uk102 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 103

OFFSHORE ACCOMMODATIONOFFSHORE ACCOMMODATIONNearshore &farshore windfarmsa whole differentballgameApart from a few exceptions,most of the offshore wind farmsdeveloped in Europe so far havebeen located near to shore enablingroutine maintenance activities to besupported from onshore supportbases using either small craft orhelicopters for personnel access.UK Round 3With the planned developments nowmoving further out into deeper watersfar from shore, the routine maintenancelogistics become more complex and thisespecially the case for UK Round 3 windfarms which are all located beyond the 12mile territorial limit at distances of up to100 miles.ConsiderationsThere are many different influencingfactors to consider when planning themaintenance logistics of these far fromshore wind farms. In deeper waters, thefoundations will be different to the typicalmonopole or gravity based types thathave dominated the shallow near to shoredevelopments and most likely these willbe jackets or even floating structures.Boarding jacket foundations requires asimilar type of access device currentlyused for monopiles. The round trip timesfor these vessels means that only close toshore developments can be served fromshore based vessels.Additional specialistmaintenanceFarshore wind farms also bring withthem additional specialist maintenancerequirements. Due to their distance andlengths of cables, there will be a largenumber of Transformer Substationsand HVDC Convertor Platforms eachwith its own requirement to cater for thepermanent maintenance personnel.UK regulatory regimeIn UK waters, the regulatory approach tooffshore maintenance activities will mostlikely follow a similar framework used forthe oil & gas industry as laid down andmonitored by the UK’s Health and SafetyExecutive (HSE).All offshore oil and gas activities aremanaged the use of a CombinedOperations Safety Case as requiredunder the Offshore Installations (SafetyCase) Regulations 2005 (SCR05). SafetyCases are risk based with the Duty Holder(Operator) being required to set outPerformance Standards which then formsthe basis of how all activities are thenimplemented. A similar approach is alsoused in the Norwegian sector.It is expected that the HSE will require thesame Safety Case risk based approach tothe operations and maintenance activitiesrequired by the far from shore wind farmdevelopments.Oil and gas experienceOil and gas platforms vary but areessentially either fixed steel jackets orgravity base structures or floating unitssuch as FPSOs, FPUs or Drilling Rigs.Routine access to all of these is byhelicopter.Over the years the use of boat or cranebasket transfer of personnel has becomevirtually outlawed due to the inherent risksand the accidents that have occurred.Through the Safety Case risk studies, thehelicopter travel to and from the platformshas been shown to be the largestcontributing factor to fatalities offshoreso these helicopter movements areminimised by careful planning of rotas androutines of the personnel working offshore.With the large number of farshore turbinesplanned, the maintenance routines cannotbe supported directly by small craftoperating directly from onshore due tothe strict safety requirements of Maritimeand Coastguard Agency (MCA). Similarlyfor safety reasons, routine access byhelicopter is neither practical nor desirable.Lessons learnedLessons can be learned from the oil andgas industry, unfortunately it is seen as anexpensive industry and has been largelyignored by some sectors of the offshorewind industry leading to costly mistakessuch as the grouted connections used onsome of the monopile foundations.Whereas mistakes like these have beenvery expensive to fix, when it comes topersonnel safety, short cuts are not anoption.Possible ways forwardThere are a variety of proposed schemesbeing developed for safely housing andferrying personnel to, from and within theoffshore wind farms. Mother and daughtercraft are proposed similar to the navy’sapproach to deploying their amphibiouslanding craft. The Seawind concept belowis an example of such an arrangement.Permanently moored vessels similar to aflat barge are another. The concept shownbelow developed by SEATEL would bedesigned to be moored indefinitely up to70 miles offshore, secured using a singlepoint mooring system and a fixed anchorspread specifically designed for eachlocation.Oil and Gas experience however wouldsuggest that spread moored vesselsare not the way to go for the UK waters.Spread moored Floating ProductionUnits (FPUs) are only used in very benignwaters such as offshore West Africa. Forthe UKCS, weather vaning FPSOs arenow deployed throughout although thereare two examples of spread mooredcylindrical hulled FPSOs but these are notflat barge based designs.Flotels have been used in the oil and gasindustry for many years and these arenormally based on a semi-submersible hullmoored to the seabed similar to a drillingrig.Operational experience of FPSOs showsthat helicopter movements are regularlyhampered by the motions of the vessels ineven moderate sea conditions, thereforebarge based concepts would most likelynot provide the operational conditionsrequired for all year round maintenanceactivities.Fixed offshore accommodationplatformsThe most obvious and well proven solutionis a permanent accommodation modulelocated within the wind farm. Separateaccommodation platforms do provide allof the requirements for personnel safetyand comfort.Accommodation areas can also beincorporated into the very large HVDCplatforms being proposed providedthat safe barriers can be incorporatedpersonnel protection.A concept for a HVDC platformDONG Energy is experienced in oil andgas and are now well established in theoffshore wind industry. For their Horns RevII wind farm located 19 miles offshore inthe Danish sector, DONG have installeda permanent Accommodation platformlocated alongside the TransformerSubstation.This is the first permanent accommodationmodule to be installed in an offshore windfarm and sets the scene for others tofollow. The maintenance crew are housedinside a standard 24 man accommodationmodule is designed and built to offshoreoil and gas standards. The crew fly to andfrom onshore by helicopter allowing safemaintenance conducted 365 days a year.104www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 105

OFFSHORE ACCOMMODATIONOFFSHORE ACCOMMODATIONDanTysk wind farmThe DanTysk wind farm located 43miles offshore in the German sector iscurrently being developed by Vattenfalland Stadtwerke München and will featurethe second permanent accommodationplatform in an offshore wind farm. The50 man accommodation module is alsodesigned and built to offshore oil and gasstandards.As well as providing accommodation forthe crew, the living quarters will includea catering complex, washing facilities,workshops, storage areas, offices androom for leisure activities. “Anyone who’sexperienced the harsh climate of theNorth Sea, with its strong winds andwaves, will understand the importanceof good working and living conditionsfor the maintenance teams on site.In Germany we’re facing particularchallenges because offshore wind farmsare located up to 100 kilometres from thecoast,” explains Holger Grubel, head ofthe DanTysk project. “At these distancesit simply isn’t possible for crews tocommute by ship every day. It wouldtake too long to transfer crew membersand the risk of some of them getting seasick and being unable to work would betoo high.The accommodation modulewill be ready for use offshorein 2014.The future of offshoreaccommodation for wind farmmaintenanceThe future requirements for maintenanceactivities to be performed 365 days a yearin a safe environment will be driven by thesame risk based criteria used in the UKoffshore oil and gas industry. Regular infield shuttling is achievable from offshorebased helicopters and boat access ispossible too. The number of flights andboat access movements would comeunder detailed scrutiny under Safety Casetype legislation.Inherent risksThe inherent risks from the regularround trips from shore bases to thesedistant wind farms by either helicopteror boat means that permanent offshoreaccommodation facilities will need to beprovided reduce risks to ALARP (as low asreasonably practicable).Such facilities can be in many formsbut the most reliable is fixed platformssupported on steel jacket or monopilesubstructures.OGN Aquindwww.ogn-group.comClick to view more infoPhoto courtesy of Vattenfall and Stadtwerke MünchenThe accommodation platform willbe anchored on solid ground whichmeans a safer and more comfortableenvironment for our teams,” says Grubel.(DanTysk Wind Farm Press release 23-10-12)106www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 107

lifting featurelifting featureWe have featured articles andcase studies on both Konecranesand TAG Energy Solutions ona number of occasions withinprevious editionsIt is always good to see companies working together forthe benefit of the industry and we are very pleased towelcome Konecranes as our sponsors for this interestingLifting Feature.Konecranes lifting technology inoperation at TAG Energy SolutionsThe 55t crane also has a magnetarrangement on a rigid beam, howeverthe trolley is capable of rotation to allowplates to be turned to suit the assemblybeds. The other cranes are hook cranesand they can handle a ‘C’ hook for liftinglarge circular elements of the wind turbinetowers.State-of-the-art technologyAll cranes are fitted with Konecranesstate-of-the-art technology, includingDynAC variable speed control on crossand long travel motions and DynAHoistvariable speed control on the main hoists.Cranes have warning horns and flashinglights for safe operation.Renewable sectorThe renewable energy sector is importantto Konecranes UK Industrial crane divisionbased in East Kilbride in Scotland. Theirspecialist cranes now operate in manyfacilities in the UK and overseas servicingthis expanding industry.As with each emerging industry marketsector such as Energy from Waste andother Renewable sources, Konecranesdesign teams have ensured that specifichandling requirements have been metwith state-of-the-art components andperformance.Konecranes UKwww.konecranes.co.ukTAG Energy Solutionswww.tagenergysolutions.comClick to view more infoTAG Energy Solutions has largefacilities based on the River Tees onthe North East coast of the UK whereit serves the offshore energy industryand has expanded its capabilities toserve the growing renewable energysector supplying design, projectmanagement and the construction oflarge onshore and offshore structures.Within these state of the art facilities thereare four Konecranes CXTD double girderoverhead cranes operating with specialistcomponents required in the manufactureof offshore wind turbine foundations,platforms and wind turbine towers.SpecificationsOperating with a 32m span the four cranesare: 60/5t, 55/5t, 50/5t and a 30/5t. Allcranes have 5t auxiliary hoists and the 60tcrane is equipped with a telescopic liftingbeam equipped with magnets suspendedfrom twin 30t hoists giving 35t liftingcapability under the magnet beam.Other features include KonecranesRemox Radio control, festoon cross cranecabling, fully enclosed drive transmissions,disc brakes, sodium vapour floodlights,galvanised ropes and KonecranesControlPro Safety and performancecontrol units that extends the crane’s life;enhances performance and safety. Thisensures that maintenance requirementsare scheduled to suit actual usage, andunscheduled shutdowns are avoided.108 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 109

lifting featurelifting featurecase studies from Tyne andWear Marine LtdTWM can boast extensive experience across a diverse range of contracts when it comes to lifting operations.In choosing some examples to share with readers the following will give an indication of the expertise the company has when it comes to thistopic area of lifting on both land and water situations. The often one-off and unique lifts demanding solutions through lifting and other methodsreally demand creative approaches and ‘thinking outside of the box’, something that TWM knows they do very well for their clients.Case study 1Demobilisation and mobilisationof a cable laying barge using a130 tonne craneThis project required a crane for lifting an AFrame, an operation which could not takeplace because the suspended quaysidearea was unsuitable. TWM designedand manufactured a bridge so that the130 tonne crane could be driven onto thebarge enabling its maximum lift.Case study 2Lifting a vessel using aballasted pontoon as a drydockThe James Leithart, a 30 mtr vessel,required refurbishment for a private client.The boat had not been moved from itsposition on the Tyne for 25 years. Waitingfor the tide to be at its highest to assistin the move, a pontoon was flooded withwater enabling it to be ballasted down.The vessel was then manoeuvred overthe sunken pontoon where the ballastwas blown expelling the air, enabling thepontoon to become a floating drydock.They then lifted the 70 tonne vessel whichwas transported initially to a site for shotblasting, then to its current position in TyneDock basin for major refurbishment work tobe carried out, which is still underway.Case study 3Lowering and lifting a 220tonne dock gate at OffshoreTechnology Park – WallsendThe tenth project of this nature over thepast 5 years leading TWM to consideritself a specialist in this area of lifting andlowering dock gates.The latest being a project currentlyunderway at the above location to enablethe removal and towage of a roll-on roll-offpontoon using a truck mounted winch tolower and lift the gate.Lifting & SlingingEstablished almost 38 years ago NETAtraining has an enviable reputationin providing relevant, high qualitytraining across a broad spectrum ofoccupational disciplines one of whichis rigger/slinger and lifting training.InvestmentIt has recently invested in the refurbishmentof its outside rigger training ‘Rig’ which hasbeen designed for use in different scenarios.From simple lifting and slinging awarenessto more complicated rigger training, learnersare taught to select and safely use a rangeof equipment in a real working environment.In addition to standard courses tailoredtraining is also available to meet specificcustomer requirements.StandardsThe completed renovation has brought therig up to ECITB technical training and OPITOStandards and the facility will be used forcommercial and apprenticeship training. Inaddition approval is currently been soughtfor ECITB Appointed Person Accreditation.Training facilitiesNETA’s training facilities serve a number ofindustry sectors including renewables So whenlocally based company TAG Energy Solutionsrecently won a contract to manufacture 16monopiles and transition pieces for E.ON’sHumber Gateway offshore wind farm, NETAwas asked to provide training for the additionalstaff needed to fill the contract. The training,predominately delivered on site, included liftingand slinging, crane driving, MEWPS, forklifttruck driving, first aid and welder testing.This year NETA has also provided thecompany with two fabrication apprenticesfor their site near Haverton Hill inMiddlesbrough.NETAwww.neta.co.ukTAG Energy Solutionswww.tagenergysolutions.comEd’s notePlease also see more details onNETA’s training courses in our ‘Eventsand What’s On pages’ within thisedition.Lifting equipmentOften TWM has to hire in lifting equipmentto cope with the large range of differentprojects, however the company has twocranes – a 25 tonne all-terrain crane anda 32 tonne road crane and a number ofdifferent sized flexibly assembled modularpontoons.This gives them the added benefit of nothaving to rely upon outside companies forthe majority of their day to day lifting needsand also offer this equipment out for hire.Tyne and Wear Marine Ltdwww.tyneandwearmarine.comClick to view more info110 www.windenergynetwork.co.ukwww.windenergynetwork.co.uk 111

Renewable worldWind/ Solar Energybridging the “Digital Divide” in AfricaSongambele, TanzaniaWe all know that wind energy canlight homes and businesses, but howabout powering ‘entrepreneurial spirit’through education and informationaccess?Today, social and economic developmentis based on a “knowledge economy”in which access to knowledge isdirectly related to ICTS - the modernmeans of information communicationand acquisition. However, as ICTSrapidly advance, the gap between the“information-haves” and the “informationhave-nots” continues to widen. In manylow-income countries such as Tanzania,participation in even a full course of basiceducation is not universal.Digital divideThe wind-solar hybrid project inSongambele, supported by RenewableWorld and it’s East African partner, theArid Lands Information Network (ALIN),specifically addresses this “digital divide”,recognising that increased educationalparticipation and achievement ensure thatknowledge and skills can be harnessedto improve health, raise incomes, sustaineconomic growth and promote equity.Information centreThey have developed a “Maarifa” orInformation Centre, powered by a 1kwturbine and solar panels. It containsbooks, CDs and perhapsmost vitally computerswith internet capacity. TheCentre is used as a meansto connect Songambelewith its local region, with itscountry and with the world.Global Wind Day 2013 isfeaturing Renewable World’swork in Songambele, Tanzania, todevelop corporate partnerships andraise vital funds to continue to buildit’s East Africa Programme.Developing business skillsin the communityTo encourage economicdevelopment and create businessopportunities, adults and childrenalike are given basic ICT skills.They have studied five modules:Introduction to Computers,Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel,Microsoft Power Point, and Internetand E-mail. The students are able touse their training both to train othersand to transform their own lives,and those of the community aroundthem. Many of the young peoplewho have taken the course hopeto pursue further studies online andseek internet-related work, or setup their own businesses.“The ICT modules taught have been veryuseful to the community” said HeriethSila, Maarifa Centre Field Officer “theyhave started applying them in differentareas in their lives. Some of the youthtrainees like Johari Farijala have alreadybeen booked for employment.”Gateway to the futureThe Maarifa Centre is a gateway to anew kind of future for local residents. Youcan help us bridge the “digital divide”and assist locals to set up new businessinitiatives.Renewable Worldwww.renewable-world.org/globalwinddayClick to view more info112www.windenergynetwork.co.uk

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