DEVELOPMENTS IN FOUNDATION TECHNOLOGY
HONORARY DEGREES FOR INDUSTRY LEADERS
The Round 3 sites, leases for which have been awarded by The Crown Estate, are much further from shore and in considerably deeper waters than the earlier wind farm developments. Hence the location and depth of the sites provide a considerable challenge to developers. This challenge requires the adoption of alternative solutions as the systems that have been utilised up to now in relatively shallow waters, are not suitable for these new sites.
PART OF THE SOLUTION
Gravity foundations, concrete shells that are placed on the sea bed and then ballasted, provide the engineering solution to enable the Round 3 developments to be successfully constructed. The benefits of concrete gravity foundations for the water depths under consideration, 20m to 50m, are that they are extremely durable and provide a solution which is both economic to build and delivers considerably reduced maintenance over the life of the structure. Additionally these foundations are placed on the sea bed, thus eliminating the environmental issues associated with piling.
The design, construction and installation of the bases is all part of the solution that is offered to developers. In addition maintenance and removal processes have all been taken into consideration in the development of gravity base solutions. The solutions offered are either self-buoyant, where conventional vessels are needed for the transportation process, or are buoyancy assisted where a customised vessel is required to assist with transportation and installation. In both cases the foundation is ballasted, once in position, with sand or gravel which ideally would be available from a nearby location.
A LITTLE HELP PLEASE…
At present I am a second year PhD student at Leeds University Business School studying Logistics and Supply Chain, with a particular focus on the UK offshore wind industry. I graduated from Hull University Business School in 2011 with an MSc in Logistics and Supply Chain Management.
PHD FOCUS
My PhD focuses on the strategic reduction of offshore wind supply chain costs. It aims to identify cost structures in the industry, track down the major cost drivers and discover links between supply chain management practices and the cost increases.
Central to my research is understanding and developing buyer-supplier relationships, in particular, from the supplier’s perspective.
CONCRETE GRAVITY FOUNDATIONS I am currently working on a project that aims to assess the benefits for
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www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
concrete gravity foundation manufacturers co-locating on port facilities in the North East of England.
The aim is to reduce total delivered costs of foundations through…
• Minimising movements of materials and products
• Minimising the number of times materials and products are handled
• Reducing the number of individual materials and product storage locations
• Reducing the logistics costs of materials, products and people
ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INDUSTRY My research engages with issues that are relevant to the UK offshore wind supply chain. The tools utilised throughout my research focus on capturing and building current and dynamic perspectives through direct engagement with key stakeholders in the industry.
CONCRETE GRAVITY FOUNDATIONS CAN MEET THE DEMANDS OF ROUND 3 WIND FARMS
CONCRETE CENTRE INTEREST GROUP INITIATIVE
The contractors within the interest group have designed and developed systems which enable the foundations to be launched, transported to site and then installed with the minimum of potential downtime due to the adverse weather conditions. They have planned facilities which will enable the simultaneous construction of multiple foundations, similar to concepts adopted for car production. This application of manufacturing efficiencies will help deliver the cost savings that the government, energy providers and energy users are hoping for from renewable energy.
POSITIVE RESPONSE
There is no doubt that the challenges of Round 3 will require both innovative solutions and a full commitment from the whole of the associated supply chain. The concrete industry through the interest group has shown that it has responded positively to these challenges and is ready to deliver.
The Concrete Centre
www.concretecentre.com
Click to view more info
In building this dynamic perspective and in contrast to other forms of data collection that fail to fully understand why issues occur, the stronger the level of participation the stronger the knowledge base will be, allowing me to better articulate and fully form a coherent case that will outline key areas for cost reduction in the industry.
I am now seeking collaboration with major OEMs, 1st – 3rd tier suppliers, and UK enterprises. Can you help me?
Patrick Hennelly ED’S NOTE Please email our editor
duncan@greenenergypublishing.co.uk and we will pass your contact details on to Patrick. In helping him we are sure you will be helping the industry.
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