DEVELOPMENTS IN FOUNDATION TECHNOLOGY
EXPANDING DEVELOPMENTS The UK is committed to producing 15% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020 and to meet this demand, manufacturers are continuously striving to produce wind turbines with increasing power outputs. Wind farms are being developed in larger numbers, deeper waters and further offshore and this almost inevitably requires a move away from monopile construction to other alternatives.
STRUCTURAL DESIGN
With a long-standing presence and significant technical expertise in the global renewable energy and power sector, Tata Steel has reviewed the factors affecting the structural design of offshore wind turbine platforms, which is a significant part of the initial capital expenditure, and has invested in new routes to support economical serial jacket production.
With targets for cost per kilowatt-hour already set, Tata Steel has looked at how to minimise all the incidental costs including manufacturing, installing and maintaining an offshore wind turbine to achieve cost effective solutions.
STANDARDISATION AND COLLABORATION
Design and assembly standardisation will be important in ensuring economies of scale within the sub supply chain. Small deviations from manufacturers’ optimised steel tube sizes add significant additional costs. Collaboration between the designer, fabricator and steel supplier will be required to ensure design integrity is optimised while maximising process efficiency and minimising costs.
Displacing the current supply of bundles of individual tubes by steel suppliers with complete point-to-point assemblies will enhance fabricator throughput. Painted assemblies, incorporating pre-prepared machined ends, will enable swift assembly and welding by fabricators.
LOCAL SUPPLY AND SUPPLY CHAIN CO-OPERATION
The speed of local supplier reactivity with enhanced service level capabilities and reduced delivery lead times can enhance fabricator production efficiency and mitigate the potential for late deliveries. Additionally, moving high-density materials is expensive, so local supply offers economic benefits.
Co-operation with the wider supply chain is crucial in meeting the Government’s aims for renewable energy. Steel manufacturers can define the tubular manufacturing process so large quantities can be produced at one time. They can also customise the process, and supply tubulars that are prepared for fabrication into finished structures. Preparation work including cutting-to-length, welding, shot blasting, coating and end-profiling help shorten throughput times and improve cost efficiency for customers, who can source all steel components from a single supplier.
MINIMISING COSTS
Tata Steel is confident that if the industry works together throughout the supply chain it can enable cost effective design and minimise manufacture assembly and installation costs. The use of local suppliers to minimise finance tied up in stock and transportation costs can also help to support economical serial jacket production.
Tata Steel
www.tatasteel.com Click to view more info
www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
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