RENEWABLE TECHNOLOGY
FLOATING OFFSHORE WIND: STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF OIL AND GAS GIANTS
Bruce Torrance, senior associate at Reddie & Grose, looks into the importance of Floating Offshore Wind and explains how developers may be able to overcome obstacles thanks to solutions used for oil and gas rigs
P
owering Up Britain, the UK Government’s recent manifesto, sets out ambitious aims to achieve energy security and Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050.
In his Ministerial Foreword, Grant Shapps MP acknowledges that the UK’s privileged global position has
been fuelled in no small part by plundering the bounty of the UK’s natural resources. The grand plan for the future promises more of the same. But, instead of relying on coal, gas and oil, the new revolution will be powered by the ‘Great British Weather’ providing abundant sources of renewable energy. In particular, the manifesto flags the crucial importance of investing in Floating Offshore Wind as
part of this holistic strategy by announcing the snappily-titled Floating Offshore Wind Investment Scheme, which will provide £160 million of funding to support manufacturing and reduce start-up costs for floating wind in the UK.
INTO DEEPER WATERS Floating wind will be vital for the Government to deliver its ambition of achieving 50GW of offshore wind energy by 2030. This is because, although the UK is already a world leader in offshore wind development, scaling up our offshore capabilities will mean that all the near-shore sites are quickly used up. Developers will need to voyage further from shore and into deeper waters to find suitable sites. Here,
the increased distance to the seabed makes it harder to securely anchor the wind turbines in position and it is made harder still by increased wind strengths and swells. In such harsh environments, how can wind turbines be constructed and maintained? How can a secure connection to the grid be guaranteed? And how can turbines remain securely positioned in rough seas? It would be easy to sink beneath this rising tide of technical challenges. But, for this last challenge
at least, offshore wind appears to be keeping its head above water by standing on the shoulders of a giant: the offshore drilling industry.
THINKING ABOUT THE CHALLENGES Oil and gas rigs have been anchored in deep waters for decades and, while there are obvious differences between offshore rigs and windfarms, it is apparent from recent patent filings that floating wind platforms have been getting a leg-up from their older cousin. For example, floating pontoons anchored with cables have been proposed to support multiple turbines. Alternatively, the turbines can be secured using tension leg platforms, which use steel rods to reduce vertical motion. Finally, SPAR-type platforms have been proposed that enable the turbine to float without needing a superstructure. All of these methods have been tried and tested before with oil and gas rigs. However, one size does not fit all. The specific challenges posed by installing and maintaining wind farms
in remote and hostile locations will likely result in these existing solutions being adapted, or even replaced, by bespoke solutions. These developments, if combined with a strong intellectual property portfolio, could provide significant commercial advantages as lucrative as any oilfield. With increased challenges comes increased rewards, and organisations that contribute to efficiently
unlocking the natural potential of floating wind will stand to profit handsomely – not just from UK projects, but also by licensing their patented technology worldwide over the next two decades. Norway, Japan, the US and China all have vast potential to develop offshore wind sites. In this truly global market, the potential payoff for providing viable technical solutions could be enormous.
KEEPING TURBINES AFLOAT The climate crisis necessitates wide-reaching solutions, and collaboration – even between competitors and industries – will be needed to achieve global sustainability goals. However, in doing so companies will have to take care not to sail too close to the wind. Adapting existing technology isn’t as easy as simply loaning designs. Companies will need to know whether their own patented improvements infringe existing IP rights, or else face a potentially costly dispute. Savvy companies that can effectively leverage the existing IP landscape will not only keep their turbines
afloat, but also their growth ambitions, and maybe even the world’s sustainability goals as well. Reddie & Grose
www.reddie.co.uk
10
ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS - Summer 2023
www.essmag.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
