ENGINEERING FEATURE
Lessons learned No need to re-invent the wheel
IN THE LAST EDITION WE INTRODUCED OUR READERSHIP TO THE NEWCASTLE CHAMBERS OF ENGINEERING (NCOE)
We continue with the second in the series...
OFFSHORE CONDITIONS AND COMPARISONS WITH THE OFFSHORE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
OFFSHORE WIND FARMS Within the North Sea there are at least 45 to 50 years of experience to call upon for the design, construction and installation of fixed or floating offshore structures for the oil & gas industry.
MATURITY VERSUS YOUTH The UK offshore oil & gas industry is a mature industry in many ways with the offshore wind farm industry still in its infancy by comparison. Exciting times lie ahead for the offshore wind farm industry and are characteristic of a rapidly growing industry. This is unlike the mature oil & gas industry where production declines each year in the UK as field reserves deplete and the tax regime makes the UK less attractive for exploration.
STRUCTURAL COMPARISONS When comparing a North Sea offshore wind turbine structure with an offshore oil & gas installation, especially a Normally Unmanned Installation (NUI) the similarities are striking.
Experience and lessons learned from the offshore oil & gas industry are invaluable to the offshore wind farm industry, much more than one would initially consider!
LEGISLATION AND STANDARDS National, European and International Standards exist for almost every engineering aspect within the oil and gas industry, from design to decommissioning. So many of the standards are relevant to the engineering of offshore wind farms, but are not necessarily stated. In the absence of a standard in the offshore wind farm industry our recommendation is to reference the equivalent offshore oil & gas standard. One may expect oil and gas standards to be revised to include offshore wind farms under the umbrella of offshore energy installations.
It is acknowledged that further work is required in the areas of legislation and engineering standards for the offshore wind industry.
DESIGN The extreme harsh environmental conditions for the UK offshore oil & gas and wind farm industry influence the design, installation and maintenance of structures and equipment. Most offshore oil & gas installations are still in place and operating long after their design life making the lifecycle cost of such facilities an important consideration for new oil & gas developments.
PROBLEMS WITH MAINTENANCE AND SUSTAINABILITY Today, many oil & gas installations in the North Sea are 30 to 40 years old and are now facing serious problems of maintenance and sustainability. This is not the structure or major piece of equipment as one may suspect, but the electronic control and safety critical systems, without which the equipment will not run.
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www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
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