Understanding the Future Challenges and Requirements for Installation Vessels to Install Larger Offshore Turbines and Foundations in Deeper Water
Thursday, 22 April 2010
Format of Presentation
1. Overview of the growth in the offshore wind farm installation market.
2. Trends in capital costs of offshore wind farms.
3. Overview of current vessels in use and future vessels being planned.
4. Challenges in deeper water and installing larger turbines.
5. Commercial implications and technological challenges.
Predicted Future Growth in the Offshore Wind Farm Market
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
Year
Win
d Fa
rm C
apac
ity (N
ew
Inst
alla
tions
) [M
W]
BEDEDKEIESFIFRITNLNOSEUKEurope
Predicted Future Growth in the UK Offshore Wind Farm Market
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
Year
Win
d F
arm
Ca
pa
cit
y (
Ne
w
Ins
talla
tio
ns
) [M
W]
ad-hoc
ScottishRound
Round 3
Round Ext1&2
Round 2
Round 1
North Hoyle Offshore Wind Farm
North Hoyle Offshore Wind Farm
1. First major offshore UK wind farm.
2. Installed using “first generation” installation vessels, including the
Excalibur.
3. The project also utilised the concept of floated monopiles delivered
to site.
4. Very successful project - but challenges of Round 2.5 and Round 3
projects will be significantly different as the industry matures.
5. Industry now moving into a completely different phase – with new
technical and commercial challenges.
Bubble area represents project capacity
Sheringham Shoal
Rhyl FlatsRobin Rigg
Alpha Ventus
Horns Rev II
Gunfleet Phase I
Gunfleet Phase II
Greater Gabbard
Thanet
LID
Samsø
Nysted
Horns Rev
North Hoyle
Scroby Sands
Kentish FlatsBarrow
Egmond
Lillgrund
Princess Amalia (Q7)
Thornton Bank
0
1
2
3
4
2000 2005 2010
Year (main contracts signed)
Proj
ect C
apEx
(£
M /
MW
)
Contracted (Pre 2009 Budget)
Under Construction
Operational
Capital CostsLearning from the past
Strengthening
onshore demand
Early
Competition
(and losses)
NEG Micon
Merger
V90 Sales
Suspension
WTG EBIT
Shift
Sterling
Collapse
EPC
Withdrawal
GE
Withdrawal
Commodities
Peak
Vessels
Crunch
Current and Future Installation Vessels
There are a number of vessels which are now commonly used by the
offshore wind farm industry. These vessels such as the Seajack the MPI
Resolution and others have established a good track record and now have
consistent utilisations. However, this was not always the case in the early
days.
There are now a significant number of new build vessels under construction.
Some will be delivered in months, other in two years time. The market is
reacting to demand.
However – will these vessels be capable of meeting the challenges of the
new developments or will they be under specified??
Offshore Wind Farm Construction Vessels
Vessel name Owner Length Width Max
operating water depth
Loading capacity
Max crane capacity
Sea Jack A2SEA 91m 33m 35m 4000t 1300t
Lisa SMIT 69m 39m 38m 1600t 600t
Odin Hochtief 46m 30m 45m 900t Crawler
Excalibur Seacore 60m 32m 35m 1350t 280t
Resolution* MPI 130m 38m 25m/35m 4550t 300t
Sea Energy* A2SEA 91m 21m 24m unknown 200t
Sea Power* A2SEA 91m 21m 24m unknown 200t
Zeebouwer GeoSea 42m 20m 32m 600t Crawler
Buzzard GeoSea 43m 30m 40m 1300t 198t
Vagant GeoSea 43m 22m 30m unknown Crawler
m/v Wind De Brandt 55m 18m unknown 1900t Crawler
Titan 2* Atlantic Marine 54m 34m 40/60m 450t 2 x 180t
JB-109/110 Jack-up Barge 55m 32m 40m 1250t 300t
JB-114/115 Jack-up Barge 55m 32m 40m 1250t 300t
Kraken* Seajacks 76m 36m 48m 900t 300t
Leviathan* Seajacks 76m 36m 48m 900t 300t
Challenges for Future Projects
• Projects are moving further offshore - 30 km - 120 km is possible in
the future
• Distances from support ports are increasing
• Water depths are increasing - up to 75 m
• Environmental conditions are becoming more challenging in deeper
water
• Offshore sites are being approved even where there are difficult
geotechnical and environmental conditions
Challenges for Future Projects Project Size
Year Range 2002 - 2008 2009 - 2011 2012 - 2015 2016 -2020
Typical no.
WTGs per project
20 - 80 80 - 140 80 - 200 100 - 1000
Typical WTG Size
2 - 3 MW 3 - 3.6 MW 3 - 5 MW 5 - 7 MW??
Construction Period
1 - 2 years 2 years 2 - 3 years 2 - 6 years
Predicted Future Depth of Water for Installations in the UK Offshore Wind Farm Market
United Kingdom
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Year
Supp
ort S
truc
ture
In
stal
latio
ns
>75m
50-75m
40-50m
30-40m
20-30m
10-20m
0-10m
Challenges in Deeper Water
• Larger vessels which must be more tolerant of more extreme
environmental conditions
• Supply logistics to the offshore site becomes even more critical
• More service vessels required
• Any delays or operational problems have even more impact on the
project
Estimated Changing Trends in the Supply of Offshore Wind Turbines
United Kingdom
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020Year
Win
d Tu
rbin
e In
stal
latio
ns
by W
TG C
apac
ity C
lass
7-10 MW Class
5-6 MW Class
3-4 MW Class
Impact from Increasing Turbine Sizes and Weights
Turbine Size Nacelle Weight
(incl. rotor)
Hub Height Tower Weight
3 MW Approx. 110 MT 75 – 90 m Approx. 110 MT
3.6 MW Approx. 185 MT 75 – 90 m Approx 170 MT
6 MW 310 – 400 MT 100 – 120 m 300 – 500 MT
Implications for Change in Turbine Type and Size to the Installation Market
• Dominated by 3MW class turbines in first half of decade; with 5MW
offerings anticipated from all players by 2015, 5MW becomes primary
turbine class
• The implication is less turbine numbers on fixed development projects
• Larger and heavier turbines and support structures all needing to be
installed in deeper water
Foundation Types
There are four common foundations types currently in use:
• Monopile (the dominant type in the current market)
• Gravity Base
• Jacket
• Tripod
In the future alternatives may be introduced:
• Floating Jackets
• Tension Leg Platform Structures
• Suction Pile Foundation
• Spar Type Structures
• Plus many others on the drawing board
Monopile Foundation
D
Pile
Transition piece
Gravity Base Type Foundation
Tripod Structure Foundation
Jacket Type Foundation
Changes in Foundation Types
The monopile has been the foundation of choice for the offshore wind farm
industry to date.
The position will change in 5 to 6 years time with jacket foundations
becoming the more important foundation for the industry. This will be a
commercial driven decision.
Changes in Foundation Types – Estimated Profile for UK Developments
United Kingdom
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020Year
Foun
datio
ns In
stal
led
Other FoundationGBSJacketsMonopiles
Commercial Implications & Technological Challenges
The following challenges will have to be met by the new installation
vessels:
• The vessels must have the capability to work in much deeper water
• The vessels will have to be capable of installing a variety of different
foundation types and larger turbines
• The vessels will have to have significantly more lift capacity than those
currently deployed on the markets. 1200 lift capacity cranes are likely
to be required
• The vessels will have to be more efficient when working offshore –
larger deck space, efficient supply and handling of components and
accommodation for larger crews
• The vessels will have to maintain or improve upon the cost installation
element as part of the overall cost per MW of the development
Construction at Thanet – The World’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm MV Resolution in the Foreground and Seajack in the Distance
Any Questions Please
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