Inwind has received a substantial grant from Innovation Norway – Environmental Technology Scheme (Miljøteknologiordningen) for further development and qualification of the dynamic offshore lifting of wind turbine and foundation components from a feeder vessel.
There is a great surge in the offshore wind energy industry to drive the cost of energy down.
Successfully delivering foundations and turbine component to site and subsequently installing them in a safe and efficient manner will potentially represent significant cost savings as well as facilitate early production of power.
Inwind has developed an installation concept in which this is made possible even in challenging conditions and high sea states:
The Inwind Installer is equipped with a 1200 Te main crane with active heave compensation, constant tension and intelligent lift-off functionality especially designed for dynamic lifts of turbine and foundation components from a floating feeder vessel.
The project that Innovation Norway has supported will further develop and demonstrate this concept by showcasing the technological capabilities through analysis and virtual demonstrations. The project includes development of a crane simulator with specific dynamic functions, water-basin testing with a scale-downed model of the jack-up and ultimately a real-life demonstration of dynamic lifts on a large scale.
The project is supported by leading utilities and turbine- and foundation suppliers who will participate at various stages of the development.
[mappress]
Press Release, September 06, 2012; Image: inwind