‘Turbine taxi’ could dramatically enhance accessibility
The companies promoting a unique windfarm support vessel believe it can dramatically increase the number of days on which turbines in Round 3 windfarms can be accessed
EARLIER this year, James Fisher Marine Services Ltd (JFMS) in the UK signed an exclusive ‘market entry’ agreement with ExtremeOcean Innovation Inc (EOI) in Canada for the latter’s pioneering windfarm support vessel (WFSV) concept, the TranSPAR, which is one of the finalists in the Carbon Trust’s Offshore Wind Accelerator (OWA) access competition. The arrangement between the companies will last for 12 months (during which they will build a full-scale prototype), with the option of a further 12-month extension. EOI is a marine technology company focused on developing innovative marine solutions for the offshore market. Its TranSPAR craft is an all-new, highly innovative solution to the problem of transferring operations and maintenance technicians to offshore wind turbines in harsh environments, such as those expected in Round 3 windfarms in UK waters and some Round 2 windfarms, along with some that are being planned in German waters. Through participation in the Carbon Trust’s OWA competition, EOI has continued to refine the technology over the last three years. TranSPAR uses scalable technology to reduce motion, increase safety and enable simplified connections. Its exceptional stability in high sea states derives from the fact that it has an extremely small water plane area, coupled with a fin keel arrangement similar to that found on high performance sailing yachts. Other versions of the craft are also possible, such as one configured to transport around 1 tonne of equipment to turbines. Speaking to OWJ in early August, John Best, the company’s head of sustainable energy, said the TranSPAR fits well with James Fisher’s focus on the application of innovative technology. “As a company, we have always focused on innovation, but of course it needs to be the right innovation. In this case, we believe the TranSPAR is an innovation with a specific application. There is an industry problem that needs solving – getting technicians and equipment to and from farshore turbines – and we believe that it can be the answer to that problem.
Mr Best explained that TranSPAR is capable of providing “significant accessibility” for Round 2 and Round 3 offshore windfarms compared to traditional vessel solutions. It will be able to connect in wave heights of up to 3m (being able to access turbines in a wave height of 3m is the ‘holy grail’ for access vessels) and can be integrated with
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existing boat landings. It is suitable for use with all types of turbine structures, and its performance has been proved by comprehensive model scale testing. “By design, the TranSPAR is inherently stable,” Mr Best explained. “It is a fundamentally different approach in which the centre of gravity of the vessel is below the waterline, rather than above it with conventional craft. “Coupled to its very low water plane area, this will allow it to transport eight personnel – two operators and six technicians – with a transit speed of around 9 knots.
It is ideally suited for in-field operations, as part of an in-field service hub concept. Because it can connect in a significant wave height (Hs) of up to 3m, it will allow access up to 310 days per year. Even with Hs of 3m, the deflection of the craft is only 30cm,” he explained. James Fisher and ExtremeOcean Innovation believe that, because the TranSPAR will have very much reduced motions compared to existing craft, it will be much safer for turbine technicians to use and will transport them in much more comfortable conditions. The simplified connection system, which is designed to integrate into an existing foundation boat landing design without modification, will also be safer, the companies believe.
“It is clear that next-generation far offshore windfarms will need a radically different approach,” said Mr Best. “The combination of the TranSPAR and an in-field central hub or in-field support vessel acting as a mother craft to TranSPAR daughter craft can provide that in a way that will be economically attractive for far offshore operations and well suited for operator and technician simulator-based training. We anticipate that the concept can provide a 35 per cent increase to accessibility over conventional craft, a 20 per cent increase in uptime, a reduction in opex of around 46 per cent and a comparable level of capex to conventional units.” So far, a one-third scale model of the TranSPAR has been tank tested. The next step is the construction of a full-scale prototype. Where the steel and aluminium prototype will be built is currently subject to discussion, but on delivery, it will be used to demonstrate the advantages of the concept on a windfarm in the UK. Mr Best would not be drawn on whether James Fisher has identified a windfarm operator with whom it will test the new craft, but as part of the OWA access competition, it will obviously have access to a number of potential companies including utilities, developers and others who are backing the OWA initiative. OWJ
TranSPAR will be able to connect to a turbine in a wave height of 3m
Offshore Wind Journal I 3rd Quarter 2014 I 61
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