OFFSHORE RENEWABLES Q


existing vessels advancing in age, fleet maintenance has never been more important. Regular refits and overhauls are essential to keep the fleet in full working order, underlining the vital role of class certification in driving operators to keep vessels as ‘new’ in terms of their performance and reliability. The personnel challenge may


prove a tougher nut to crack – and success will ultimately depend on the willingness of individual operators, and the sector at large, to funnel time and investment into developing high-quality training opportunities. Seacat Services has taken its own preventative steps to combat a potential skills shortfall by launching an apprenticeship scheme to train promising young seafarers. The apprenticeship programme – which results in an industry-recognised certification – offers young people an opportunity to enter the sector,


and at the same time provides a steady stream of skilled new recruits for our business. We also try to recruit locally,


where possible. This is beneficial both for the local economies where we work – for example, the town of Wick, where we are supporting the construction of Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm – and for the sector, as we can benefit from local supply chain expertise and talent. Safety is another factor that


depends on both equipment and personnel – and is an area where great strides forward have been made in recent years. Alongside the commitment to maintaining vessels to the highest standards, implementation of robust ISM and ISO-approved safety management systems is becoming more commonplace across the sector. That said, there is more to be done, and creating strong lines of


Training initiatives will be needed to avert skills shortages


communication – and an environment of trust between vessel operators, contractors and project owners – will be an ongoing focus. However, with a healthy


pipeline of new offshore wind projects entering development, the OESV sector is poised to enter an unprecedented phase of stability. Vessel operators have already proven their ability to work in a rapidly changing market, and,


with collaboration and due diligence, they should be able to weather the storms of changing operational demands, and a simultaneous drive to cut costs, with relative equanimity. Now we need to demonstrate


that we can maintain the high standards that the industry has come to rely on, ensuring that fleets remain available, reliable, and – most importantly – operate to the highest safety standards.


13


Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm facts The 588MW, 84-turbine Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm will be situated 13km (8 miles) off the Scottish coast in the Outer Moray Firth. It is expected to eventually power more than 450,000 homes – three times more than the number of actual homes in the Moray and Highland regions. Construction of the wind farm’s infrastructure


began back in 2016, and it is due to become fully operational in the latter half of 2019. It is also expected to deliver £680m into the UK economy during its construction phase and around £525m during its predicted 25-year operational lifetime. The wind farm’s operational base will be at


Wick Harbour – a 45-minute voyage to and from the turbines. Up to 100 operatives will be employed


to maintain it, and around 900 people will be employed during its construction phase. Each wind turbine will have a total height


(maximum pile depth to highest blade sweep point) of 264m, and at 75m-long the blades will be two metres longer than an Airbus A380, although five metres shorter than its wingspan. The blades will be made at a new Siemens factory in Hull. The jacket substructures will be among the


deepest in use for an offshore wind farm anywhere in the world, with the total weight of the jacket substructures amounting to more than 83,000 tonnes. The supply chain includes Seaway Heavy Lifting, Subsea 7, Nexans and Siemens.


450,000


The number of homes that will be powered by the Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm


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