Study to boost UK port infrastructure to support floating offshore wind

In Wales, UK, renewable energy company RWE is funding a study to investigate how to maximise local port infrastructure to support the offload and launch of floating offshore wind platforms.

The aim of the study is to boost local supply chain opportunities by utilising local port infrastructure and will focus on offload and launch of two types of floating offshore wind platforms – one steel and one concrete.

The study will investigate using Sarens’ crane and barge technology alongside Tugdock’s submersible platform utilising a hybrid of both approaches.

These technical solutions will look to address the logistical challenges ports will face in order to accommodate commercial-scale floating offshore wind deployment.

A variety of land and marine equipment will be considered to manoeuvre structures into the water offering solutions to the fast-growing floating offshore wind industry.

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RWE will focus the study at the Port Talbot facility in South Wales, run by Associated British Ports. This is currently being upgraded to facilitate manufacturing, assembly and integration of floating offshore wind turbines.

The study outcomes will build on previous studies including one undertaken using the Port Of Milford Haven Marine Simulator. The resulting information will inform activities at other suitable ports in the region, such as the Port of Pembroke, owned and managed by Port of Milford Haven Authority.

Lucas Lowe-Houghton, director of srategy and growth at Tugdock said: “The sheer scale of floating offshore wind turbines and their sub-structures creates a significant logistical challenge for ports around the world, many of which are constrained by size, water depth or tidal range. Our unique technology has been designed to meet this challenge head on.”

The Celtic Sea has some of the best wind resources in Europe and is a key focus for the Crown Estate in the development of new floating offshore wind capacity.

RWE is currently investigating various floating wind technologies and floating wind seabed leases around the world, to provide the most appropriate means of generation for these prospective gigawatt-scale projects.

Philippa Powell, the Celtic Sea project director at RWE said: “We are set to participate in the upcoming Crown Estate’s UK Round 5 seabed auction. Commercial scale floating wind leasing offers the potential for multi-billion pound investment into the region; innovation is one of the key mechanisms that we are pursuing to try to ensure that the potential of this opportunity is realised locally."