Wind&WaveCONNECT Edition 10 by The Connect Series Ltd

Wind&WaveCONNECT MANAGEMENT • PROCUREMENT • SUPPLIERS WWW.WINDANDWAVECONNECT.CO.UK

ISSUE 10 JUNE 2013 £12.50

ISSUE 10 JUNE 2013

EMEC’s dynamic decade

CONNECTING THE WIND & WAVE ENERGY INDUSTRIES

Working with renewable energy companies to help solve the demanding technical, regulatory and commercial challenges they face, improving the safety and reliability of assets and the people, systems and processes involved. For support at every step of the way, from initial concept and detailed design through to construction, commissioning, operation, life extension and decommissioning contact Lloyd’s Register.

Wind&WaveCONNECT

Trusted engineering excellence for a sustainable energy supply.

East of England: Centre-stage in North Sea offshore wind development Gwynt y Môr: Working to harness the wind of the sea Cranes: Making light work of heavy lifting

To learn more visit us at www.lr.org/renewables

Innovation through cooperation at the Dogger Bank zone

Capitalising on tidal supply chain innovation

written by

with

Lloyd’s Register is a trading name of the Lloyd’s Register Group of entities. Services are provided by members of the Lloyd’s Register Group. For further details please see our web site: http://www.lr.org/entities

TOBY EDMONDS RWE Innogy

INDUSTRY NEWS

•

HEALTH & SAFETY

ABBIE BADCOCK-BROE

LEE CLARKE Forewind

•

LAW

•

TRAINING

IT Power Ltd

•

ECOLOGY

•

Directory

85 Sea-Based Support 89 Survey 92 Wind & Marine Technology Testing Services 93 Alphabetical Supplier Listing Search for companies you need by their name.

Website Visit the Wind&WaveCONNECT

Tapping into the

website now at

UK’s skills base

www.windandwaveconnect.co.uk

We provide honest and impartial advice to help you achieve your objectives. Apply our renewable energy expertise – visit us at www.lr.org/renewables

Lloyd’s Register is a trading name of Lloyd’s Register Group Limited and its subsidiaries. For further details please see http://www.lr.org/entities © Lloyd’s Register Group Limited 2012

FEATURE: EAST OF ENGLAND

EAST OF ENGLAND: CENTRE-STAGE IN NORTH SEA OFFSHORE WIND DEVELOPMENT

Words: Penny Hitchin

Wind&WaveCONNECT

or an area to become a hub for offshore wind development it needs good location, ports and harbour facilities, a skilled workforce and an effective supply chain. As an existing energy hub, the East of England ticks all the boxes and is looking to play a major role in future developments. A map of the UK shows a big mass of low-lying land projecting out into the southern North Sea towards the Netherlands. Over the last 2,000 years, successive waves of invaders from across the sea have influenced the history, culture and governance of the area. The latest welcome arrival from across the North Sea is the offshore wind turbine, now populating the surrounding waters in increasing numbers.

The East of England Energy Group predicts that there will be over £50bn capital expenditure invested in the East of England Energy Zone in the next 20 years. Location, location, location The central and southern North Sea plays host to the highest density of offshore wind turbines in the world. The UK, Denmark, Germany, Holland and Belgium have all installed offshore

wind farms (OWFs) around their coast, and capacity is set to soar in the years ahead as the turbines increase in size and distance from shore. The oldest operational offshore wind farm is E.ON’s Round 1 60MW Scroby Sands, which has been generating since 2004. Round 2 wind farms from south to north around the coast include the E.ON/DONG 630MW London Array, DONG Energy’s 172.8MW Gunfleet Sands project and SSE and RWE’s 504MW Greater Gabbard OWF. Earlier this year two prototype next-generation 6MW Siemens turbines were installed at the Gunfleet Sands III demonstration project. To the north, within easy access of Norfolk ports, lie Scira’s 316 MW operational Sheringham Shoal facility

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

FEATURE: EAST OF ENGLAND

Encouraging supply chain development

Image: Eastport UK outer harbour, courtesy of Eastpork UK

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

and the Wash wind farms of Lincs, Docking Shoal, Dudgeon, Race Bank and Triton Knoll, all at different stages of development. Contracts for the £100m Dudgeon project are due to be awarded next year. However, the biggest developments are yet to come. Vattenfall and Scottish Power have won the right to develop up to 7,200MW of offshore wind power in the huge East Anglia Zone. The 1,200 turbine development will be at least 25km off the coast of Suffolk and Norfolk. The East of England area also offers access to two further Round 3 zones to the north – Hornsea and Dogger Bank. These developments offer huge challenges and opportunities to the supply chain and the economy of the area.

The East of England Energy Group (EEEGR) predicts that there will be over £50bn capital expenditure invested in the East of England Energy Zone in the next 20 years in oil and gas, renewables and nuclear. The area is second only to Aberdeen as a centre for the UK energy industry, and local organisations want to develop a first-class local offshore wind industry. This means developing a vibrant and innovative supply chain and a skilled and adaptable workforce. The ports of Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft have been awarded Enterprise Zone status. This gives tax concessions and other advantages to businesses locating to the area. The two ports have also been jointly named as one of England‘s six Centres for Offshore Renewable Engineering (COREs). The Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft public–private partnership is working to attract renewable energy manufacturing companies to the area.

The most easterly point in the UK is Ness Point in Lowestoft. This is where Orbis Energy Centre, an innovation and incubation centre for offshore renewable energy, can be found. Orbis acts as a catalyst for sector and supply chain development and its state-of-the-art building includes offices accommodating 38 companies involved in the sector, conference and exhibition facilities.

Big beasts in the local supply chain Two local newspapers – The Eastern Daily Press (EDP) and the East Anglian Daily Times (EADT) – produce an annual list of the top 100 businesses in the area. Energy companies featuring in the list include Norwich-based Acteon Group, parent group to a range of companies operating internationally across the subsea sector businesses, and Great Yarmouth-based Gardline Group. Both groups are actively transferring skills from the oil and gas industry to offshore renewables.

Wind&WaveCONNECT

FEATURE: EAST OF ENGLAND

Images: Gardline crew transfer vessel in the southern North Sea, courtesy of Gardline

Gardline was established in the 1960s by George Darling, a local entrepreneur who was persuaded to rescue a ship which was due to be scrapped. He refurbished the vessel and in 1969 launched Gardline Shipping. The timing was propitious, as the start-up business immediately secured contracts to carry out survey work in the North Sea for the emerging oil and gas industry. Gardline Group now operates across five continents and its companies include Gardline Shipping, Gardline Marine Sciences and Alicat Workboats. The Marine Sciences group carries out geophysical, hydrographic, environmental, oceanographic and geotechnical surveys. Alicat Workboats, formed in 2009, works out of the Richards Dry Dock in Great Yarmouth making aluminium boats for transferring crew to and from OWFs.

The area is second only to Aberdeen as a centre for the UK energy industry. Other Great Yarmouth companies include Seajacks UK (owned by Marubeni Corporation and Innovation Network Corporation of Japan), which owns and operates purpose-built

Wind&WaveCONNECT

Great Yarmouth, traditionally a Norfolk river port, has grown into the role of supply port of the offshore activity in the southern North Sea in the last 50 years. self-propelled jack-up vessels, and Seatrax UK, which manufactures offshore/marine cranes that are exported all round the world.

Ports provide vital access Over the centuries many small ports operated out of the estuaries and harbours of the coastline of the east of England. Great Yarmouth, traditionally a Norfolk river port has grown into the role of supply port of the offshore activity in the southern North Sea in the last 50 years. Trading under the name EastPort, the port owners have developed the outer harbour to provide a modern, multi-purpose deep-water facility. The port has quay space and development land available. It is the closest deep-water facility to the East Anglia Offshore Wind Farm area, and the company is keen to secure offshore wind business. The neighbouring port at Lowestoft is another centre of excellence serving the local oil and gas industry. The operations and maintenance (O&M) base for Greater Gabbard OWF is at Lowestoft.

Wells-next-the-Sea on the North Norfolk coast is the O&M base for Sheringham Shoal OWF. The harbour authority built a new jetty for work boats and dredged the harbour entrance channel to increase access times to the harbour. Further south, the estuary of the River Stour separates the port of Harwich from the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s busiest container port at Felixstowe. The Port of Harwich was the installation base for the Gunfleet Sands OWF and was involved in both the Greater Gabbard and Thanet projects. Approval has been granted for development of the site at Bathside Bay, which has the potential to be a multifunctional site for manufacturing and assembly, and a specialist harbour and operations centre for high-speed offshore support vessels is being created. As well as serving UK OWFs, the East of England ports and supply chain are setting their sights on offering services to forthcoming sites off the coast of Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium.

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

Skills for Energy Thursday 4th July, 10am-4pm John Innes Centre, Norwich

People: Powering the Future Help us to give people the skills to shape the future of the energy industry. To learn more or to book, go to www.eeegr.com/events or call 01493 446535

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

Wind&WaveCONNECT

INDUSTRY NEWS

GREEN INVESTMENT BANK AND MASDAR FORM NEW INVESTMENT ALLIANCE The UK Green Investment Bank plc (GIB) and Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s state-backed renewable energy company, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore project investment opportunities in the UK’s clean energy sector. The UK GIB is a public company formed with £3bn of funding from the UK Government to accelerate the UK’s transition to a greener economy. Under the MoU, the two parties will consider opportunities to jointly invest in green infrastructure projects in the UK over the next seven years. Masdar has already independently invested over £500m through its equity stake in the UK’s London Array, the world’s largest offshore wind farm. This new alliance will unlock the potential for further investment.

The MoU was signed by Masdar CEO Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber and GIB CEO Shaun Kingsbury. Shaun Kingsbury said: “This new MoU is a bold and exciting statement of intent. GIB and Masdar are new organisations – the first of their type in the world. We’ll be working together closely to bring investment to UK clean energy projects and to share our expertise and experience. At GIB we are building an enduring institution; one that’s here for the long term. This relationship shows how we can act as a catalyst to bring in additional funds for UK clean energy projects to complement the support we’ve already received from the UK Government.”

www.greeninvestmentbank.com

LONDON ARRAY FULLY POWERED

April saw full capacity reached at Phase 1 of London Array, the world’s largest offshore wind farm, with commissioning of the 175th and final turbine. With all turbines now exporting power to the national grid, London Array is expected to produce enough green electricity to power nearly half a million homes a year. Turbine installation was completed in December 2012; since then the project has focused on fully commissioning and putting into operation all 175 of the 3.6MW Siemens turbines by this spring.

Wind&WaveCONNECT

“This is the final major milestone of the construction phase and the culmination of more than two years’ offshore construction work which began in March 2011 with the installation of the first foundation,” said Project Director Richard Rigg. “It has been a complex operation but I am delighted that the commissioning of the wind farm has now been completed on schedule, despite the worst of the winter weather.” The project has started handing over to the Operations and Maintenance Team. This will be completed in the summer when the last shallow array cable has been buried. London Array is being built around 20km off the coasts of Kent and Essex on a 245sqm site. Phase One covers an area of 90sqm and has a combined capacity of 630MW. A possible second phase could add enough capacity to bring the total to 870MW. The project consortium partners have the following shareholdings: DONG Energy 50 per cent, E.ON 30 per cent and Masdar 20 per cent.

SIEMENS 6MW TURBINES PRODUCE FIRST POWER AT GUNFLEET SANDS April also saw the two next-generation Siemens 6MW offshore wind turbines at DONG Energy’s Gunfleet Sands demonstration project produce their first power. DONG will be using Siemens 6MW wind turbines commercially for the first time at Westermost Rough off the Yorkshire coast and has recently entered an agreement with Siemens to supply 154 6MW turbines for the German Gode Vind projects. DONG is testing the performance and reliability of direct drive technology using the two Siemens 6MW turbines at the Gunfleet Sands demo site, along with other new developments, which can then be used in a broader perspective on other projects in their portfolio. Benj Sykes, DONG Energy Wind Power’s UK Country Manager, commented: “The Gunfleet 6MW turbines for Sands demonstration the German Gode project is a significant Vind projects step in our work to reduce the cost of energy in offshore wind, and we’re now looking forward to greatly increasing our understanding of the operational performance of these turbines and using the learnings to inform the wider roll out of this technology in the UK over the coming years.” The demonstration site is located approximately 8.5km south east of Clactonon-Sea, next to Gunfleet Sands 1 and 2.

154

www.dongenergy.com

www.londonarray.com

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

ADVERTORIAL: SOS

A PROVEN SOLUTION TO THE SKILLS SHORTAGE IN THE RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR

ith the continuing expansion of offshore renewable energy projects around the East Coast of England, the skills shortage is a constant challenge for all suppliers into this very important growth industry. Since 2005 Site Operative Solutions renewable energy division (SOS RED) has been working to address this pressing issue, developing a proven strategy to satisfy its clients’ demands. To meet the immediate demand, and working closely with the major OEMs, SOS RED has over the past eight years developed a core of senior project engineers with their own teams of discipline specialists that can be moved from project to project, transferring valuable experience in the lifecycle of previous developments. These disciplines include: bid management, project design, site

management, construction management, diving coordinators, commissioning managers, client reps (including foundations, cables and wind turbines, off and onshore), marine coordinators, cabling expertise, HSE site managers, offshore installation managers, APs for lifting, environmental engineers, O&M technicians, welders, and financial and administrative support based on site. This method of support has now been successfully implemented on over 12 major offshore projects. As with all strategies, there is a need for our approach to be dynamic and address future trends in demand. Therefore, SOS RED is assuming an active role in predicting potential future skill shortages and taking remedial action now. Short-term initiatives include the use of consultants from other energy sectors with transferable skills.

However, the long-term health of the sector will be in the hands of the nation’s current crop of students. To this end, SOS RED has embarked on the STEM Ambassador Programme, which is designed to excite and encourage young people to consider careers that require science, technical, engineering and mathematical skills. If you would like to learn more about this Skills Initiative please contact: Janet Rix – Commercial Director Site Operative Solutions Limited Unit 6, Folkes Farm, Folkes Lane Upminster, Essex RM14 1TH Tel: 01277 849289; email janet.rix@sosholdings.co.uk

www.sosholdings.co.uk

SOS PROVIDING THE SOLUTION TO THE SKILLS SHORTAGE WITHIN THE GROWING RENEWABLES SECTOR If you would like to learn more about SOS please contact: Janet Rix Commercial Director Site Operative Solutions Limited Unit 6, Folkes Farm, Folkes Lane, Upminster, Essex RM14 1TH Tel: 01277 849289 email janet.rix@sosholdings.co.uk

SOS.indd 1 WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

14/05/2013 11:09 Wind&WaveCONNECT

INDUSTRY NEWS

GO AHEAD FOR FIFE ENERGY PARK TO TEST SAMSUNG WIND TECHNOLOGY A major new development to test cuttingedge wind technology in an offshore environment before commercial deployment was given the green light recently by Scotland’s Energy Minister Fergus Ewing. Mr Ewing granted consent for an offshore demonstration wind turbine with an installed capacity of up to 7MW at the Fife Energy Park in Methil. The development for Samsung Heavy Industries will test new designs and models for offshore wind turbines to increase the reliability and efficiency of the power they produce. During a visit to Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea, Finance Secretary John Swinney welcomed the consent for the new development and the Scottish Enterprise funding to develop the project. Mr Swinney said: “Today’s

announcement marks a significant step forward in establishing a globally competitive supply chain for the offshore wind industry. “This development, which is being undertaken by Samsung Heavy Industries with more than £6m support from Scottish Enterprise, will utilise newly developed technologies which have not yet been deployed offshore – further confirming Scotland’s commitment to innovation in the offshore wind production sector. “Fife can play a key role in developing knowledge and research in the energy sector. The site at Fife Energy Park offers the ideal location for a cutting-edge test centre like this.”

COASTLINE SURVEYS COMPLETES GEOTECHNICAL WORK FOR NAVITUS BAY

Falmouth-based marine data consultancy Coastline Surveys has completed a geotechnical investigation of the seabed cable route at the proposed 175sqm Navitus Bay Offshore Wind Park, off the Dorset and Hampshire coast. Utilising its 24m survey vessel, MV Flatholm, along with its C-COREHP vibrocorer, Coastline Surveys successfully completed sampling at 22 locations along the planned route for the cable, which runs from the shoreline to approximately 12 www.scotland.gov.uk miles off shore. A key requirement was the acquisition of high-quality samples for environmental and potential archaeological analysis. Mike Unsworth, Project Manager for Navitus Bay, said: “The breadth and depth of knowledge of the ocean floor that the geotechnical investigation has given us is vital to the technical development of operation. The installation and Navitus Bay.” commissioning programme is ongoing and The work was largely conducted in on completion the wind farm will be capable challenging environmental conditions with of generating up to its full output of 62MW. strong tidal currents and the requirement Cables buried on the seabed transmit for shallow water operations close to the the electricity from the wind turbines to a shoreline. However, the experience of newly constructed substation at Warrenby, the team, which includes extensive where the voltage is boosted to reduce investigations on the nearby marine transmission losses before entering the aggregate dredging licences, enabled electrical grid via a connection at Lackenby. them to complete the workscope in Christian Egal, Chief two highly-productive 12 hour days. Executive of EDF Energy Navitus Bay Development Renewables, said: “This is Limited (Navitus Bay) is a 50-50 an important milestone joint venture between Eneco for us and one that will turbines have now Wind UK Ltd (Eneco) help us to maintain our been fully installed and EDF Energy. The proposed commitment to deliver using the locally based Wind Park will have an energy in a way that is MPI Adventure approximate maximum installed sustainable, affordable jack-up vessel capacity of 1,100MW, enough and secure. electricity to power up to 790,000 “As work progresses, homes. Subject to planning and gaining further turbines will be brought on consent, construction could start in 2017 stream over the next few weeks and in with first generation by 2020 and full doing so will enable the Teesside project operation in 2020/2021. to make a significant contribution to meeting these objectives.”

FIRST ELECTRICITY GENERATED BY TEESSIDE OFFSHORE WIND FARM

The North East’s first large-scale offshore wind farm has now started to produce electricity as work continues towards completion of the project. The first three wind turbine generators at the EDF Energy Renewables Teesside offshore wind farm have now been fully commissioned and are supplying electricity to the National Grid. When complete the 27 wind turbines located off the coast at Redcar will be capable of generating electricity equivalent to the consumption of 40,000 households. 18 turbines have now been fully installed using the locally based MPI Adventure jack-up vessel operating out of the Port of Hartlepool. After installation a commissioning and testing programme is undertaken by the wind turbine generator manufacturer, Siemens, to ensure that each is ready for

Wind&WaveCONNECT

www.teessideoffshorewindfarm.co.uk

www.navitusbaywindpark.co.uk www.coastlinesurveys.co.uk

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

UNDERWATER ENGINEERING SERVICES Specialising in the supply of marine and subsea support equipment to the diving, ROV and survey sectors of the global offshore renewables industry. - Diver & ROV Tooling packages

- Hydraulic Power Units

- Diver Deployment Frames

- Winches & Deck Cranes

- Hydraulic Shear Cutters

- Hose Reels

- Precision Cable, Umbilical & Wire Spooling Service

UES - Part of the ATR Group West Pitmillan, Foveran, Ellon, Aberdeenshire, AB41 6AL t: +44 (0) 1358 789808

info@uesltd.net www.uesltd.net www.atrgroup.co.uk

INDUSTRY NEWS

TAG ENERGY SOLUTIONS AND GARDLINE CONTRACTS FOR E.ON’S HUMBER GATEWAY WIND FARM Gardline Marine Sciences Limited (GMSL) has been contracted by E.ON to carry out construction phase environmental surveys for the Humber Gateway offshore wind farm off the East Yorkshire coast. Gardline is working closely with the E.ON, environmental consultants and a number of government agencies to design a construction monitoring programme. The company will be conducting seabird surveys, marine mammal mitigation, subsea noise monitoring, herring spawning monitoring and suspended sediment monitoring. The seabird surveys will consist of boat-based surveys following ESAS methods, little tern surveys and land radar surveys. The herring survey and airborne noise monitoring have been subcontracted to university and acoustic consultants.

The fieldwork started in late April 2013 and is expected to finish in March 2015. Meanwhile February saw Teesside-based construction company TAG Energy Solutions awarded the contract to manufacture 16 monopolies and transition pieces, the first such UK contract, which is expected to create an additional 60 jobs. The wind farm will consist of 73 turbines that will generate up to 219MW of electricity, enough to power up to 170,000 homes. Construction of the wind farm is underway, with the first foundations expected this summer, and the project is aimed to complete in 2015.

www.eon-uk.com/generation/ humbergateway.aspx

NAREC BUILDING WORKS COMPLETE

Construction of the structure that will house Narec’s 15MW capacity wind turbine nacelle test rig was recently completed, six weeks ahead of schedule. The handover of the new building by Shepherd Construction concluded design and building works for three new facilities on the site. The new building – a 35 metre high, 3000sqm hall – has been designed and built to accommodate a test rig which will conduct performance, endurance and compressed life testing of complete nacelles

Wind&WaveCONNECT

up to 15MW rating. The rig will apply both torque and shaft loads. Andrew Mill, Chief Executive at Narec, said: “The early completion of building works is a significant achievement and we expect to have completed our first commercial test programme by the middle of next year. The entire facility is bespoke; designed and built to ensure that larger turbines can be brought into operation sooner. It will have a significant impact on the improved design and operation of offshore wind turbines in the UK over the next 20 years.” The installation of the 15MW capacity test rig by GE Energy Power Conversion is well underway onsite – ready for commissioning later this summer – and involves a Permanent Magnet Motor (PMM) and the largest Force Application System (FAS) of its type in the world, weighing over 400 tonnes.

SMART WIND’S HORNSEA ZONE PROJECT MILESTONES SMart Wind, the joint venture between Mainstream Renewable Power and Siemens Financial Services, announced in April the signing of Agreement for Leases (AfL) with The Crown Estate for Optimus Wind and Breesea, which together comprise the second phase of projects within the Hornsea Zone. Optimus Wind and Breesea combined could have a capacity of up to 1,800MW and are on track to be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in 2014. In 2011, SMart Wind signed an AfL for its first phase of projects, comprising Heron Wind and Njord, which together could have a capacity of up to 1,200MW. Having obtained grid connections in September 2010 and following an extensive period of environmental surveys and stakeholder consultation, SMart Wind will be submitting this first phase of projects for the Hornsea Zone to the Planning Inspectorate this summer. Joern Harde, Commercial Head of SMart Wind, commented: “The signing of the second round of Agreement for Leases with the Crown Estate is further demonstration of ongoing progress at our Hornsea offshore wind developments. Siemens Project Ventures and Mainstream Renewable Power, together with our partner DONG Energy (for the initial projects), are now in an advanced stage of development of up to 3000MW of UK offshore wind projects. This is supporting the UK’s ambition to build a local renewables industry to deliver clean energy at an affordable price.”

Follow on Twitter @Wind_WavCONNECT

www.narec.co.uk

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

ADVERTORIAL: KLÜBER

NEW SYNTHETIC HYDRAULIC

FLUIDS FOR MARITIME APPLICATIONS Reliable and readily biodegradable products reduce impact on sensitive eco-systems In hydraulic systems leakage is a particularly frequent phenomenon that has not been sufficiently solved to date. The root cause lies with the numerous flexible connections within a hydraulic system that are subject to wear or can be damaged due to external mechanical stress. They are constantly under pressure and hard to seal completely even with the best of maintenance. The specific technical requirements of complex hydraulic systems are such that until recently they could often only be met by fluids based on mineral oils. With the development of the Klüberbio LR 9 series, however, Klüber Lubrication has succeeded in creating a synthetic, readily biodegradable product offering a performance that is at least equal to that of mineral oil-based products.

“The new, highly efficient hydraulic fluids of the Klüberbio LR 9 series bear the European Eco Label issued for particularly eco-friendly products. They contain more than 90 per cent of renewable resources,” explains Dirk Fabry, Market Manager Maritime and Offshore Industry at Klüber Lubrication. “They are readily biodegradable and not toxic to marine organisms, which considerably reduces their environmental impact in the event of a leakage.”

Eco Labelling for assured environmental protection The European Eco Label enables consumers to distinguish greener, more environmentally friendly products of high quality. The Klüberbio LR9 range of lubricants has successfully fulfilled the requirements for the EU Eco Label, illustrating their excellent environmental credentials.

Based on synthetic ester oils, their biodegradability is >= 60 % after 28 days. In addition, they meet the requirements stipulated in ISO 15380, Bosch Rexroth RE 90221-01 and Swedish Standard SS 15 54 34. Available in three ISO grades, VG 32, 46 and 68, these synthetic hydraulic oils provide excellent wear protection, achieving FZG scuffing test load stage 102. Tests on elastomer seals according to ISO 15380 show good compatibility. The range is suitable for secure operation of hydraulic systems in environmentallysensitive areas, e.g. rivers and canals; ships and docks; wetlands; forestry and all other environmentally sensitive areas.

www.klueber.co.uk

Always with the breeze optimised lubrication solutions for wind turbines Downtime, short maintenance intervals, complex supplier management, high storage costs for lubricants and gear oils are just some of the challenges you face in your daily work. By providing the right lubricant solutions, we help you deal with them, work efficiently and save costs. Two for All - just two greases for all your whole turbine lubrication All in One - synthetic gearbox fluids for extended life, reduced wear and micro-pitting Klüber Lubrication - High-technology lubricants made to the highest standards Klüber Lubrication GB Ltd Bradford Road, Northowram, Halifax, HX3 7BN Tel: 01422 205115, Fax: 01422 206073 sales@uk.klueber.com, www.klueber.com

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

your global specialist

Wind&WaveCONNECT

INDUSTRY NEWS

HAFREN POWER NAMES DELIVERY TEAM COMPANIES Hafren Power has said that five major global companies spanning engineering, construction, project management and logistics are working with it on its proposal to build a £25bn, 18km (11 mile) electricitygenerating barrage across the Severn estuary. Arup, Bechtel, DHL, Mott MacDonald and URS are currently assessing the delivery model needed to manage the consent and environmental approval processes and the nine-year build of the biggest British infrastructure project since the Channel Tunnel. Tony Pryor, Chief Executive, Hafren Power, said: “Government has an open mind on our proposal and we are working hard to provide further details of construction, environmental and business impacts and mitigation. These companies have successful track records in delivering large infrastructure projects and are bringing considerable expertise and momentum to the process… The engineering could also become the standard for schemes elsewhere in the world.”

The proposed barrage, between Brean in England and Lavernock Point in Wales, will generate on the ebb and flood of the second largest tidal range in the world at 14 metres – an energy source capable of meeting some 5 per cent of the UK’s annual electricity needs. Its 1,026 turbines will generate 6.5GW, making it one of the biggest power stations in the world. It has a minimum lifespan of 120 years – far longer than any coal, gas or nuclear power station – and will probably operate for much longer than this. Its whole-life cost is lower than any known renewable or fossil fuel source. Government approval is needed for the proposal, together with an agreement to support the electricity price in the first 30 years, in line with the consumer support granted to other low-carbon energy generators.

www.hafrenpower.com

SEAROC AND MCLAUGHLIN & HARVEY JOIN FORCES International marine engineering companies SeaRoc and McLaughlin and Harvey have announced a partnership to provide construction, installation and operation and maintenance services to tidal and wave energy developments. The collaboration establishes an unrivalled combined portfolio of successful marine renewable energy installations and deployments, coupled with over a century of civil, marine and offshore engineering. Working together, the two companies will use their combined experience and complementary competencies and capabilities to deliver an enhanced suite of specialist services.

www.searoc.com www.mclh.co.uk

Directory search within the Wind & Wave industry

Available in Print & Online Wind&WaveCONNECT Directory House HP.indd 1

Wind&WaveCONNECT

www.windandwaveconnect.co.uk 17/05/2013 09:04 WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

Barrett Offshore Tubes provides a dedicated and focused service to the offshore market for oil, gas and renewable energy sources.

BARRETT Offshore

Operating from our Scunthorpe service centre, Barrett Offshore utilises our onsite laser tube profiling machines and also stores and distributes hot formed and seamless material nationwide.

Products & Services - Stocked grades now include G13+N, G15+N and API X52. in addition to S355J2H to cater for the needs of offshore fabricators. - Tube laser cutting machines - State of the art plasma cutting machines coming soon For more information visit us at www.barrettoffshore.com

T: 01274 654280 F: 01724 842600 E: sales@barrettoffshore.com

PROTECTING YOUR INVESTMENTS ANTICORROSIVE COATINGS FOR  Oil & Gas  Chemical plants 

Wind turbines

 Infrastructure  Bridges  Power generation

Hempel brings professional consulting, technical support and efficient coating solutions tailored to your needs.

www.hempel.co.uk

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

Wind&WaveCONNECT

INDUSTRY NEWS

£1.6M FOR WALES’ FIRST FULL-SCALE TIDAL ENERGY GENERATOR

Cardiff-based Tidal Energy Ltd (TEL) has been awarded a £1.6m EU grant to fund deployment of its DeltaStream tidal energy device in Ramsey Sound, Pembrokeshire. Harbour trials of the device will be taking place in Milford Haven later this year, before the unit is deployed in Ramsey Sound in Pembrokeshire in 2014. Here, it will generate clean electricity for the homes of St David’s over its 12-month demonstration period.

Invented by Pembrokeshire engineer Richard Ayre – the DeltaStream device, which sits on the seabed under its own gravity – comprises three independent 400kW turbines mounted on a triangular frame. For the first deployment in Ramsey Sound early next year, one 400kW turbine will be installed, in order to minimise operational and maintenance risk, with a view to scaling up to the full-scale device

later in 2014/2015. Following demonstration, TEL has plans to install a 10MW array off St David’s Head in Pembrokeshire. Martin Murphy, MD of TEL – which has obtained a suite of patents for its DeltaStream technology – said, “This is a really exciting time for us. We have all the necessary operating consents, have completed the grid work for the project, and are now preparing for our first at-sea tests. “The remaining principal contractors are due to be placed shortly, we have recently invited tenders for fabrication and we are also expanding our team at our Cardiff headquarters… We want to assemble the device in Pembrokeshire, with a view to using it as an operational base.” TEL is backed by Welsh renewable energy company Eco2 Ltd. This latest grant follows an earlier funding provision of £6.4m from EU funds in 2011.

www.tidalenergyltd.com

Make the most of our online services...

Post your Wind and Wave industry job vacancies today Wind&WaveCONNECT Job House Advert.indd 1

Wind&WaveCONNECT

www.windandwaveconnect.co.uk/jobs 17/05/2013 08:44 WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

ADVERTORIAL: OLYMPUS

OLYMPUS INTRODUCES THE PALM-SIZED IPLEX ULTRALITE VIDEOSCOPE – IDEAL FOR WIND TURBINE APPLICATIONS Olympus has recently introduced the ultimate in portable videoscope systems – the palm-sized IPLEX UltraLite. This new videoscope is uniquely designed for remote visual inspection in the tough environments and confined spaces encountered within the wind turbine market. The IPLEX UltraLite weighs a mere 700g (1.5lb), and has a compact body for easy transport, making it the ideal choice for inspectors working in difficult field conditions. Ergonomically designed with intuitive, thumb-controlled scope articulation, the IPLEX UltraLite provides effortless and fatigue-free operation, even during prolonged inspections. In addition, a bright LED array at the scope tip eliminates the need for fibre optic light transmission. Despite its small size, the IPLEX UltraLite offers many features often only found in larger and high-end videoscopes. The IPLEX UltraLite is equipped with Olympus’ unique image processor for sharp and clear images. Its superb colour-reproducing capability

enables inspectors to accurately detect very small defects. Operation is easy with its icon-based menu ensuring instant recognition and intuitive navigation. By pressing dedicated, direct-access keys, the inspector can quickly articulate the scope tip, record images, adjust brightness, and input text. The scope tip instantly and accurately responds to the articulation control, and approaches targets precisely for fast, efficient inspections. Viewed images can be stored to a standard SD or SDHC card as high-quality still JPEG images and MPEG-4 movies. The need to obtain high-quality visual information on the condition of gear teeth and bearings is paramount within the wind turbine market. The IPLEX UltraLite offers a comprehensive range of interchangeable optical tip adaptors equipped with bright LEDs to ensure the inspector can make decisions based on reliable condition information. The IPLEX UltraLite’s insertion tube is both crush and abrasion-resistant, and

designed with Olympus’ Tapered Flex™ technology for outstanding scope manoeuvrability. The IPLEX UltraLite is resistant to rain, sand and dust, and designed to meet IP55 requirements. With its industry-proven durability, it passes the 1.2m (3.9ft) drop test, to withstand inspection-site drops and falls. With its small size, ease of use, durability, and high image quality, the IPLEX UltraLite videoscope is a cost-effective remote visual inspection tool for both novice and experienced inspectors, and is suitable for any application requiring visual inspection inside parts or structures that cannot be accessed using conventional methods. Its applications include oil, gas and petrochemical pipe work, small aircraft engines, gas turbine engines, wind turbine gearboxes, and any other utilisation where operator access is limited.

www.olympus-ims.com

DRAMATICALLY IMPROVE YOUR FIELD INSPECTION CAPABILITY WITH A PALM-SIZED, ULTRALIGHT VIDEOSCOPE. Industrial Videoscope

• Surprisingly compact and lightweight at 700 g • IP55 designed. Resistant to rain, dust, and physical shock • Range of high brightness tip adaptors for optimum viewing performance • Rugged insertion tube featuring quick and accurate articulation Learn more about the IPLEX UltraLite at

www.olympus-ims.com/iplex-ultralite/ Visit www.olympus-ims.com

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

Wind&WaveCONNECT

FEATURE: TITLE

DIARY OF

EVENTS

NOTICE: All dates were correct at time of going to print, however, these may be subject to change. Please check first with the organiser. If you have any dates you would like to display in our next issue please email bryony.stuart@theconnectseries.co.uk

JUNE 4TH – 5TH

18TH – 19TH

ONSHORE OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE FORUM 2013

DEEPER WATER OFFSHORE WIND

Hamburg, Germany Tel: 0208 267 4011 Email: events@windpowermonthly.com Web: www.onshoremaintenanceforum.com

London Tel: 0207 953 4016 Email: info@offshorewindconference.com Web: www.offshorewindconference.com

5TH – 6TH

19TH – 20TH

CURRENT & EMERGING WIND POWER TECHNOLOGY

4TH ANNUAL GLOBAL WIND POWER FINANCE & RISK CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION

London Tel: +0203 355 4212 Email: daniel.vonburg@greenpowerconferences.com Web: www.greenpowerconferences.com

Tel: 0207 099 0600 Email: info@greenpowerconferences.com Web: www.greenpowerconferences.com

12TH – 13TH

25TH

OFFSHORE WIND 2013 – RENEWABLEUK

SR ONSHORE WIND CONFERENCE & MINI EXPO 2013

Manchester Tel: 0844 412 7962 Email: RenewableUK@LiveBuzz.co.uk Web: www.renewable-uk.com/events

Glasgow Tel: 0141 353 4980 Email: info@scottishrenewables.com Web: www.scottishrenewables.com/events

12TH – 13TH

25TH – 26TH

WIND FARM DEVELOPMENT: EUROPEAN ONSHORE 2013

EWEA TECHNOLOGY WORKSHOP: RESOURCE ASSESSMENT 2013

Istanbul, Turkey Tel: 0207 981 9800 Email: swhittle@acieu.net Web: www.wplgroup.com/aci/conferences/eu-ewp3.asp

Dublin Tel: +32 2 213 1844 Email: techworkshops@ewea.org Web: www.ewea.org/events

Wind&WaveCONNECT

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

8672 TASC ADVERT 180x42 final_8672 TASC ADVERT 180x42 final 10/05/2013 13:20 Page 2

FEATURE: TITLE

SEPTEMBER 2ND – 3RD

17TH

EWTEC 2013

BLADE INSPECTION, DAMAGE & REPAIR

Aalborg, Denmark Tel: +45 (0)9940 7230 Email: ewtec2013@ewtec.org Web: www.ewtec.org/ewtec2013

3RD – 4TH OPTIMISING WIND POWER O&M: EUROPE Tel: 0207 099 0600 Email: samantha.coleman@greenpowerconferences.com Web: www.greenpowerconferences.com

9TH

Hamburg Tel: 0208 267 4011 Email: events@windpowermonthly.com Web: www.windbladeforum.com

18TH – 19TH MARINE OPERATIONS SUPPORTING OFFSHORE WIND CONFERENCE Le Meridien Piccadilly, London Tel: 0207 017 5510 Email: maritimecustserv@informa.com Web: www.informamaritimeevents.com/event

WIND ENERGY SEMINAR – GLASGOW Glasgow Science Centre Tel: 0207 901 3000 Email: RenewableUK@LiveBuzz.co.uk Web: www.renewableuk.com/en/events

10TH – 11TH

25TH WINDCONNECT Hotel Novotel, Heathrow, London Tel: 0208 267 4542 Email: dan.carden@haymarket.com Web: www.windconnectoffshore.com

THE RENEWABLES EVENT Birmingham Tel: 0203 033 2209 Email: info@therenewablesevent.com Web: www.therenewablesevent.com

16TH – 17TH SR MARINE CONFERENCE, EXHIBITION & DINNER 2013 Eden Court, Inverness Tel: 0141 353 4986 Email: oconnolly@scottishrenewables.com Web: www.scottishrenewables.com/events

If you would like to add an event to our online diary of events then head over to:

windandwaveconnect.co.uk/diary Wind&WaveCONNECT cannot guarantee that events will be added to either the print or online diary of events and reserve the right to exclude any content that is deemed unsuitable for the publication.

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

Wind&WaveCONNECT

FEATURE: GWYNT Y MÔR

Wind&WaveCONNECT

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

FEATURE: GWYNT Y MÔR

WORKING TO HARNESS THE WIND OF THE SEA Words: Penny Hitchin

uilding an offshore wind farm (OWF) is an expensive and complex business, involving dozens of companies and vessels and lots of sea miles. Careful planning and project management is essential if equipment and vessels are to be at the right place at the right time. Work on RWE’s Gwynt y Môr (‘Wind of the Sea’) OWF has been underway since November 2009, with offshore work starting last year. The next few months will see activity increase as the turbines take their place in the waters off the North Wales coast. The Round 2 project is a €2bn investment shared between RWE Innogy, Stadtwerke München GmbH (Munich Municipal Utility) and Siemens.

Foundations

Image: Gwynt y Môr substation, courtesy of RWE

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

Foundations for the 160 turbines were designed by the Danish company Ramboll, who have designed over a thousand individual foundations including those for RWE’s neighbouring Rhyl Flats project. In-house software is used to prepare an individual design for each foundation based on the specific site conditions and the water depth at that position. The foundations are between 50 and 70 metres long and weigh up to 700 tonnes each. The contract for making the monopiles and transition pieces went to Danish company, Bladt. The two substation foundations were designed and fabricated by UK companies ODE and Burntisland Fabrications. All the foundations were shipped to Birkenhead, awaiting installation. RWE’s own installation jack-up barge Friedrich Ernestine and Seaway Heavy Lifting’s vessel Stanislav Yudin are installing the foundations. The vessels carry three monopile foundations plus

transition pieces at a time and install them at a water depth of between 12 and 28 metres. It takes about six hours to cover the 48km distance to the construction site. The first monopile was installed in August 2012 and the work is due to be completed by the end of this year.

The next few months will see activity increase as the turbines take their place in the waters off the North Wales coast. Most of the wind turbine foundation monopiles were driven to target depth with a submersible hydraulic hammer. Geology dictated that some holes needed a drive-drill-drive sequence to reach the target depth. A multi-million pound purpose-built, high-specification pile-top reverse-circulation drilling rig made by Cornwall-based LDD was used to drill out material inside the monopole and beyond when necessary.

Turbines Gwynt y Môr is using the tried and tested Siemens 3.6MW turbine. The first sets of wind turbine towers, blades, hubs and nacelles were delivered to the Port of Mostyn in January this year. Since then, weekly deliveries have been shipped via Esbjerg from Siemens’ Danish manufacturing plant to Port of Mostyn using the roll-on roll-off ferry SeaTruck Pace. This is the first large-scale project where a ro-ro is being used to transport turbines. continued p24

Wind&WaveCONNECT

SEAWAY HEAVY LIFTING IS AN OFFSHORE CONTRACTOR IN THE OIL & GAS AND RENEWABLES INDUSTRY Seaway Heavy Lifting is proud to be heavily involved in Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind Farm, one of the largest offshore wind farms currently in construction anywhere in Europe. Gwynt y Môr is located more than eight miles off North Wales coast in the Liverpool Bay. Seaway Heavy Lifting has been awarded three projects

The three projects Seaway Heavy Lifting has

for the T&I (Transport and Installation) of Gwynt y

been awarded are:

Môr’s two offshore substations and the turbine foun-

Project 1: T&I for 2 Offshore Substation

dation structures. Seaway Heavy Lifting carried-out and is carrying out the projects under lump sum type

Topsides Project 2: T&I for 80 Turbine Founda-

contracts whereby Seaway Heavy Lifting includes

tions + 2x Offshore Substation Jacket

weather stand-by risk. This risk can be taken by

Foundations

Seaway Heavy Lifting, because Seaway Heavy Lifting

Project 3: T&I for 80 Turbine Foundations

has built up the know-how and experience resulting from more than 20 years offshore operations using their

The three projects are split in two campaigns:

own installation vessels, equipment and last but not

Campaign 1: consisting of projects 1 and

least competent people both on and offshore.

2, which started in August 2012 and was completed end of December 2012.

Seaway Heavy Lifting owns two Heavy Lift Vessels,

Campaign 2: consisting of project 3,

the “Oleg Strashnov” with 5000t lift capacity and the

which has already started mid-May 2013

“Stanislav Yudin” with 2500t lift capacity. Both vessels

and is expected to be completed in

are self-propelled vessels and have eight point mooring

Autumn 2013.

systems. In addition the “Oleg Strashnov” is equipped with a DP3 (Dynamic Positioning) system. For the

RWE npower renewables Gwynt y Môr

“Gwynt y Môr” project Seaway Heavy Lifting decided

project director, Toby Edmonds said: “The

to use the “Stanislav Yudin” to carry out the offshore

‘Stanislav Yudin’ is returning to Gwynt y Môr

installation work.

following a successful campaign last year”. Seaway Heavy Lifting is looking forward to a continuing cooperation with RWE.

Stanislav Yudin

Oleg Strashnov

TWO VESSELS - ONE FORCE WE OFFER TAILORED EPCI & T&I SOLUTIONS:

Renewables EPCI and T&I

Oil & Gas T&I

Substations

Platforms

Wind Turbine Generators

Deepwater structures

Foundations

Platform decommissioning

Cables

Seaway Heavy Lifting c/o Albert Einsteinlaan 50, 2719 ER Zoetermeer, The Netherlands Phone: +31 79 363 77 00 www.shl.com.cy

FEATURE: GWYNT Y MÔR

Cabling

Images: Above: Gwynt y Môr foundations Below: Turbine blades await installation Both courtesy of RWE

Installation of the turbines starts this spring. Dozens of sets of turbine installations are on the quay at Mostyn awaiting the arrival of A2Sea’s installation vessel Sea Jack. Three sets of turbines will be loaded each trip and taken to the site in Liverpool Bay for installation. The vessel will then return to Mostyn to load the next set and so on. Each trip will take nine days. A second installation vessel – the Sea Worker – will arrive on site in the summer to assist. The schedule is at the mercy of the weather! In a multi-million pound contract, platforms on the project are being fitted with Python Crane systems mounted on the foundation platform of the turbines and the two substations. Rochdale company Granada Materials Handling designed the units, which each includes a 1.3 tonne electric wire rope hoist for offloading service components from supply vessels. Two will be installed on each substation and one on each turbine.

The £15m export cable which connects the offshore substations to the onshore substation was manufactured in North Wales by Prysmian. Global Marine Systems’ cable-laying barge, Cable Enterprise, will finish laying the subsea export cables this spring. The subsea export cable installation is a £20m+ contract. Connection of 160 turbines to the two offshore substations is being carried out by UK-based Reef Subsea Power & Umbilical Limited using the Polar Prince vessel. The £40m contract covers engineering, project management, ROV and survey operations linked to the subsea installation and burial of all infield array cables. The 148 kilometres of 33kV inter-array cable was supplied by Draka. Hughes Sub Surface Engineering of Merseyside has a £5m contract for diving and cable installation support. The diving team will operate from the specialist vessel Normand Tonjer, whose facilities include Twin Launch and Recovery systems (LARS), NITROX breathing gases, hot water diving systems and an 1800mm decompression chamber.

Ports Birkenhead and Port of Mostyn are the installation ports for the project. RWE has a £5m contract to lease quayside land to store and pre-assemble the

large-scale components at Cammell Laird’s Birkenhead base. Mostyn will also be the operations and maintenance base for the project. RWE’s other two local OWFs, North Hoyle and Rhyl Flats, already operate from this port. Mostyn has a £50m contract lasting 25 years. Abergavenny-based Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd is carrying out civil engineering works at Mostyn in a £1.1m contract to prepare the port to receive wind turbine components. In a £3.6m contract, civil engineering company BAM Nuttall is to design and build a new pontoon at Mostyn to support the offshore transfer of wind turbine engineers and technicians. Holyhead-based Turbine Transfers has a £10m contract for crew and vessels.

Numerous other contracts and vessels Delivering Gwynt y Môr is a complex and exciting operation in which lots of specialist companies, people and vessels are playing a part. With offshore wind set to see massive growth in UK waters, there will be huge opportunities for adaptable and innovative companies as the supply chain develops in the years ahead.

www.rwe.com

Installation of the turbines starts this spring. Dozens of sets of turbine installations are on the quay at Mostyn awaiting the arrival of A2Sea’s installation vessel Sea Jack.

Substations The two offshore substations were designed by Manchester-based Siemens T&D, who also manufactured the transformer. Siemens contracted Harland & Wolff in Belfast to manufacture the £20m substation topside. Siemens was also responsible for the 132/400kV onshore substation at St Asaph which will feed into the national grid. An 11km onshore underground cable route was installed between the cable landing at Pensarn and the substation.

Wind&WaveCONNECT

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

CMY

Quality, Value & Service

Offshore Renewables Division of Hutton’s www.huttons-chandlers.com PROVISIONS TECHNICAL INDUSTRIAL MEDICAL

STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD

ENHANCE YOUR ENTRY...see our directory at the back

Call: 01937 580401 Stand Out PDF.indd 1

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

Wind&WaveCONNECT 09/05/2013 10:14

Wind&WaveCONNECT

Q&A: TOBY EDMONDS

TOBY EDMONDS, GWYNT Y MÔR PROJECT DIRECTOR, RWE INNOGY

ocated more than eight miles off the North Wales coast, in Liverpool Bay, the 160 turbine wind farm is currently one of the largest in construction in Europe. Once operational the €2bn development will generate 576MW. Toby has worked in the RWE AG group since 2001 and in the energy industry since 1998, when he joined National power PLC as a commercial graduate. During the last 14 years Toby has held a wide variety of posts in retail and generation including business development, operations and customer services as well corporate functions. In August 2010 he took up the role of Project Director for the Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind Farm.

What brought you into the industry/your position? Offshore wind is at the cutting edge of energy technology and engineering so for an engineer working in the energy industry this is the place to be.

What experience has proved most useful to you on the Gwynt y Môr project? Communication is vitally important as the project is so large, with up to 800 people working on it at any given time and things changing so fast it’s a constant challenge to keep everyone up to date. Problem solving is essential as every project is different and provides its own set of challenges and surprises, so being able to work through these and find solutions is essential.

Wind&WaveCONNECT

How has Gwynt y Môr differed from other projects you’ve worked on?

If you could change anything about the industry what would it be and why?

The sheer scale is like no other project I’ve worked on. The foundations are made up of long steel tubes called monopiles that are up to 65 metres long and weigh up to 700 tonnes – that’s as big as an Airbus A380 aircraft and as heavy as 55 double-decker buses, and we’ve got 160 to install.

I think the government needs to provide the certainty investors need so more projects can go ahead, rather than constantly changing the rules.

What other key projects/ initiatives are you involved in at the moment? As a company and an industry we are working hard to reduce the cost of offshore wind and so part of my role is to take the lessons we are learning at Gwynt y Môr and share them with our other projects and the industry to help achieve this.

What developments do you expect to see in the next five years at RWE Innogy? After the completion of Gwynt y Môr I expect us to begin building our next round of projects both in the UK and Germany.

What is your greatest career achievement to date? I’m not quite there yet but without a doubt it will be when we achieve first generation at Gwynt y Môr this summer.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in the industry? Get offshore and get some real experience of construction so you really learn about what we are doing and truly understand the challenges and risks we face.

What inspires you? The people I work with. It never ceases to amaze me what a group of people can achieve if they really work together.

What law/legislation would you like to see changed/ introduced? I think the new legislation coming through now has the potential to give the industry the clear direction it needs, but the detail is still not clear so this needs to speed up to avoid holding the industry back.

Where do you see the UK wind, wave and tidal industry in 10 years?

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I think offshore wind will be part of the staple diet of the UK’s energy mix and wave and tidal will be the new and exciting technology like offshore wind is today.

Getting out on site and seeing these massive vessels build the wind turbines and install the substations offshore.

www.rwe.com

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

Q&A: TOBY EDMONDS

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

Wind&WaveCONNECT

FEATURE: BEARINGS

TURNING WITH THE TIMES Wind power has come a long way in a relatively short time to become a lynchpin of our aspirations for a more sustainable future. Phil Burge, Country Communication Manager, SKF, looks at the progress of this technology and at some of the latest developments that are keeping turbines turning at their maximum potential.

Words: Phil Burge SKF

Wind&WaveCONNECT

ike many great inventions, wind power had modest beginnings. The first electricityproducing wind turbine was designed as early as 1887, when Scottish pioneer James Blyth designed one to charge a battery that would enable him to light his holiday home in Aberdeenshire. It was a full 64 years before the concept had been embraced to the degree that it could be applied on a large scale. The UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first grid-connected turbine was plugged in during 1951, but it was not until the late-20th century, when the environmental concerns of earlier decades proved well founded, that we saw the mass production of wind turbines. As a result, wind turbine technology is now developing rapidly, as both OEMs and energy companies seek to maximise the operating life of each unit, while simultaneously reducing operating costs. Crucial to achieving these goals is the development of critical systems that are as robust, reliable and long-lasting as possible, to minimise failure and wear rates and reduce the need for routine maintenance.

Meeting these goals can be a tough challenge, especially when it comes to refurbishing turbines that are already operating in the field. In order to make these objectives a reality, a number of new advances in component design look set to help increase service life and reduce operating costs in both new and existing turbines.

Development in bearing design to meet the needs of the wind industry has also had to address the handling of minimal load conditions and quick acceleration and deceleration. The increasing demand for wind energy is driving the development of bigger turbines, which require larger gearbox components. The latest component technology â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in particular, separable high-capacity cylindrical roller bearings â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is supporting the

development of these larger turbines. By incorporating separable highcapacity cylindrical roller bearings to support high-speed shafts in wind turbine gearboxes, equipment manufacturers can increase system reliability. For wind farm owners and operators, the ability to reduce gearbox failures and turbine downtime can seriously minimise operating and maintenance costs, helping to lower the cost per kWh and increase profitability. Development in bearing design to meet the needs of the wind industry has also had to address the handling of minimal load conditions and quick acceleration and deceleration. These conditions can cause conventional bearings to suffer smearing due to high levels of wear, potentially leading to bearing failure. Advanced high-capacity cylindrical roller bearings are therefore optimised with the addition of an inner-ring cage guidance mechanism and a lower-weight brass cage, for low inertia of the roller set. Separable high-capacity cylindrical roller bearings are now available that combine the advantages of conventional cylindrical roller bearings and high-capacity cylindrical roller bearings.

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

FEATURE: BEARINGS

These are sized to match standard original bearings, yet feature extra rollers for increased load-carrying capacity. In addition, they offer the ability to separate the inner ring from the rest of the bearing components, without the risk of the rollers becoming disengaged. A separable bearing design such as this also enables easy mounting and dismounting, which reduces costly replacement and maintenance times during top-ofturbine repairs.

Separable highcapacity cylindrical roller bearings are now available that combine the advantages of conventional cylindrical roller bearings and high-capacity cylindrical roller bearings.

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

The total global wind power capacity has now moved beyond 200GW, which means that wind turbines now have the capacity to satisfy at least 2.5 per cent of the world’s demand for electricity – impressive figures for a technology that is relatively new as a mass-produced tool for the supply of energy. But turbines must grow larger in size; power ratings of 10MW turbines are in the planning stages to satisfy the projects in the pipeline that cannot be met by 3MW turbines. Advances such as separable high-capacity cylindrical roller bearings are helping customers to meet the challenges of the future by investing high reliability, excellent performance and easy maintainability in their applications. Increased offshore operations, and onshore wind farms in harsh climates and remote locations, present tough challenges for maintenance and repair teams; however, the designers and engineers of wind turbine components are making real advances in a technology that once lit a holiday home but now aims to light the nation.

For further information, please contact: Phil Burge, Country Communication Manager, SKF (UK) Ltd Tel: 01582 496433; mobile: 07770 647591; email phil.burge@skf.com

Images: Right: Courtesy of SKF Background: © CenturionStudio.it – Fotolia.com

SKF is a leading global supplier of bearings, seals, mechatronics, lubrication systems and services which include technical support, maintenance and reliability services, engineering consulting and training. SKF in the UK and Ireland has 18 strategically placed locations, which includes 11 manufacturing sites (three bearings and eight machined seals). The number of employees is 1,023 and there are over 400 distributor locations.

www.skf.co.uk

Wind&WaveCONNECT

FEATURE: COLLABORATIVE WORKING

INNOVATION THROUGH COOPERATION AT THE DOGGER BANK ZONE Forewind General Manager Lee Clarke describes how collaboration, and close cooperation with suppliers, is key to progressing the world’s largest offshore wind development at Dogger Bank. This case study shows how Forewind and its contractors worked closely together on its meteorological masts project, and how such partnerships can only help the industry as a whole.

F Words: Lee Clarke, Forewind General Manager

orewind, a consortium comprising four leading international energy companies – RWE, SSE, Statkraft and Statoil – is developing the world’s largest offshore wind energy project at Dogger Bank, 125 kilometres off the UK coast. The organisation aims to achieve consent for an installed capacity of up to 9GW of offshore wind farm projects, which equates to almost 10 per cent of the UK’s projected electricity requirements. However, its focus now is on the first six projects, which together total 7.2GW.

Forewind draws fully on the experience of each of the owner companies as well as innovative suppliers and contractors to help meet the challenges and achieve consent.

Images: Main: The Brave Tern transports the foundations to Dogger Bank Inset: The first meteorological mast installed on-site. Both courtesy of Forewind

Wind&WaveCONNECT

This project heralds a completely new era for offshore wind due to its huge size and distance from shore. There are many technical and logistical challenges to be addressed. Forewind draws fully on the experience of each of the owner companies as well as innovative suppliers and contractors to help meet the challenges and achieve consent.

Innovation The first major application of this call for innovative suppliers came in the form of the zone’s requirement for two

meteorological masts to monitor wind, wave and weather conditions at the site. With the design, fabrication, and installation costs of foundations totalling around one-third of an offshore wind farm’s overall capital outlay, developers are keen to support ways to identify more cost-effective designs, particularly for 30 to 60 metre water depths. Taking the best concepts for offshore wind turbine foundations from design to deployment, the Carbon Trust has its flagship Offshore Wind Accelerator programme working to achieve just this. Via a long-term cooperation between nine of the major offshore wind energy developers, the Bucket Foundation was selected for use with Forewind’s meteorological masts. It was developed by Universal Foundation, a Fred. Olsen related company based in Denmark. Other offshore developers including DONG, E.ON, Mainstream and Scottish Power Renewables are also participating in the programme, so information about the Bucket Foundation’s fabrication and installation will be shared, along with monitoring data, to validate its suitability for future use. A revolutionary design, the foundation combines the main features of a monopile with those of a suction bucket while including an ingenious installation system with jets to control the vertical alignment of the foundation as it embeds itself into the seabed. Fred. Olsen United AS was contracted, through an engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) agreement, to design, construct and install both the foundations and the meteorological mast topsides.

The EPCI contract utilised Fred. Olsen related companies including: marine engineering firm SeaRoc, based in Chichester and Dundee, who designed and delivered the meteorological masts; Harland and Wolff, responsible for fabricating the foundations in Belfast; and Fred. Olsen Windcarrier, whose 132m jack-up vessel Brave Tern installed the foundation on her first job since being completed in 2012. She returned to install the 44 tonne galvanised steel tower of the mast to complete the full process.

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

FEATURE: COLLABORATIVE WORKING Joint safety initiatives Forewind employed an on-site representative at Harland and Wolff during the fabrication process, for approximately two days each week throughout the works. By having on-site representation, and working together with the contractors, we were able to develop joint safety initiatives including: weekly safety tours where health and safety representatives from all three companies toured the site to identify potential health and safety concerns and discuss improvements; weekly safety improvement meetings to discuss the issues raised in the joint safety tours and agree actions; weekly conference calls, which also helped actively support health and safety improvements; – together these activities led to upgraded personal protection equipment; and improved workforce engagement in health and safety issues, tighter safeguards for working at height, and better traffic management. These improvements, shared widely, can only benefit the whole renewables industry. But joint progress was not limited to the foundation design and approach to safety at the Belfast fabrication plant. The Dogger Bank Zone is proving to be a fertile ground for innovation as a new and safer installation technique was introduced to lift the meteorological mast tower on top of the suctioninstalled Bucket Foundation. The ‘human-free’ technique was a UK industry first when the initial mast was placed on top of the foundation in February this year. Developed between Forewind, Fred. Olsen United and its project partners, the technique employed strong plastic guide cones strapped to the tower flanges before any lifting activity. The lightweight plastic cones enabled easier handling, did not affect

Via a long-term cooperation between nine of the major offshore wind energy developers, the Bucket Foundation was selected for use with Forewind’s meteorological masts.

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

coating on the flanges, and also acted as weak links to avoid structural damage to the mast. It was both safer than traditional methods, as it enabled the crew to stay on deck away from the lifting hazards, and also much faster as the cones helped to quickly stabilise the load in the final stage of the lifting. SeaRoc, working as the primary contractor for the project’s topsides, drew the detailed design and provided the final solution for the 93 metre high tower.

A new and safer installation technique was introduced to lift the meteorological mast tower on top of the suction-installed Bucket Foundation. The ‘human-free’ technique was a UK industry first. The advent of this technique was another example of industry cooperation and the potential safety and efficiency gains to be made through developers and contractors working closely together. Also supported by The Crown Estate through its co-investment in the development of the zone, Head of Offshore Wind, Huub den Rooijen said that the work on Dogger Bank is a tremendous step forward for the UK offshore wind industry. To quote him: “Not only do we now have a structure that can measure wind speeds within our largest offshore wind zone, Forewind and its contractors have also successfully demonstrated a range of new innovations, from suction Bucket Foundations to new and innovative lifting techniques, that have the potential to reduce costs and improve health and safety performance as our industry develops.” This is a project of many firsts and we are very proud to be at the forefront and to be able to share our learnings with the wider industry to facilitate industry-wide improvements. For further information please email info@forewind.co.uk.

www.forewind.co.uk

Wind&WaveCONNECT

FEATURE: CRANES

MAKING LIGHT WORK OF HEAVY LIFTING

Words: Penny Hitchin

ranes come in many shapes and sizes ranging from small jib cranes designed to work indoors to soaring tower cranes used to build skyscrapers. Some are designed to work from a fixed base while others can be propelled around on wheels, tracks or boats.

Careful planning is vital to ensure that the loads and the lifting devices are in the right place at the right time and in the right order!

Image: Pacific Orca, the world’s largest wind farm installation vessel, courtesy of Swire Blue Ocean

Wind&WaveCONNECT

Cranes are an essential tool of the trade for wind energy as assembling, installing and operating wind farms means lifting and moving lots of heavy loads. Different types of cranes are used depending on the size and location of the wind farm. While onshore turbines may be smaller and more accessible than their offshore counterparts, they are often installed in

rural, often remote areas where road access may be limited. In this case heavy-duty cranes can be transported in containers for assembly on site. The challenges of offshore wind farms (OWFs) are quite different and require the services of sea-going crews working aboard specialist floating crane vessels. Careful planning is vital to ensure that the loads and the lifting devices are in the right place at the right time and in the right order!

View from the top Big cranes are controlled by a skilled driver sitting in a cab operating levers and controls so the hook, grab arm or hoist is positioned accurately to load or unload items. It’s not a job for the faint-hearted – tower cranes can be several hundred metres high, and the operator has to climb up the tower to get to work. Once in the cab the operator is isolated from colleagues and relies on radio communication. The panorama from the top may be splendid, but the operator often cannot see the load and must rely on directions from elsewhere. Skilled riggers prepare loads for lifting and the slinger or signaller will direct the crane

operator by radio. Precision and patience are required to work safely and securely.

Sea-going cranes lift components offshore Installing offshore wind turbines requires an ensemble of vessels, people and equipment and clement weather. Massive purpose-built heavy lifting barges play a key role. These jack-up barges have substantial deck space for loads and are designed to be floating cranes than can ‘park’ and lift themselves above the sea. The vessel is fitted with extendible support legs which are raised vertically so the hull floats on the water while travelling. Once in position, the legs drop down to the seafloor, where the weight of the barge and additional ballast forces them into the sea bed. The jacking system then raises the barge platform above sea level, providing a stable platform for the lifting operations. The biggest jack-up vessel in the world is Pacific Orca, a purpose-built heavy-lift Windfarm Installation Vessel (WIV). It entered service last year and is currently contracted to Dong Energy. The six-legged Danish-designed vessel

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

FEATURE: CRANES

Incorporating cranes on the turbines makes for more efficient maintenance and repair work, and faster, quicker unloading or hoisting of material and people.

can carry up to a dozen 3.6MW wind turbines and lift itself up to 17 metres above sea level. The 160 metre-long vessel has two cranes fitted. The main crane can lift 1,200 tonnes at a radius of 33 metres, while the auxiliary hoist can lift 500 tonnes.

As offshore turbines increase in size, builtin platform and nacelle cranes are increasingly being incorporated into the specification.

nacelle high above. Incorporating cranes on the turbines makes for more efficient maintenance and repair work, and faster, quicker unloading or hoisting of material and people. Offshore wind turbine cranes incorporate features such as highly corrosion-resistant coatings, low environmental impact and high servicing intervals. They must be approved by the classification societies. The growth of wind energy offers specialist crane companies a growing market, and in the last decade many crane manufacturers have established specialised wind energy divisions developing products specifically for the harsh conditions of the OWF. Samsung Heavy Industry’s first venture into the European wind market is a 7MW demonstration turbine at Fife Energy Park. The company plans to test its new turbine offshore at Methil, and develop a manufacturing base at the site. The demonstrator is being fitted with a Palfinger nacelle crane. Vattenfall’s Ormonde wind farm has 30 RePower 5MW turbines operating, each of which is fitted with Palfinger nacelle and platform cranes.

West of Duddon cranes The 389MW Dong Energy/Scottish Power West of Duddon Sands OWF in the Irish Sea is due to start operating in 2014. The new purpose-built installation base at Belfast Harbour includes lay-down areas for loading blades, towers and nacelles and a reinforced quay so that heavily loaded vehicles can drive close to the quayside. The biggest crane at the base is a Liebherr crawler crane which can carry loads of up to 1,000 tonnes. Delivery and installation of the 108 Siemens 3.6MW turbines has started and each is kitted out with a platform crane supplied by Norwegian offshore specialist Noreq. The substation will be equipped with a substation crane from Austrian hydraulic lifting and handling specialist Palfinger.

Big turbines need more cranes At RWE’s Nordsee Ost OWF off the German coast 48 6MW RePower turbines are being installed ready to start operations next year. Each turbine will incorporate three Palfinger cranes: a nacelle crane, a platform, crane and a purpose-designed smaller electric handy crane which can be operated manually in the event of a power failure.

Offshore wind turbines get their own cranes Most offshore substations incorporate a platform crane for unloading supply vessels. As offshore turbines increase in size, built-in platform and nacelle cranes are increasingly being incorporated into the specification. Platform cranes are used to lift supplies from delivery vessels while nacelle cranes are installed to provide efficient lifting from the platform up to the

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

Wind&WaveCONNECT

ECOLOGY: WAVE AND TIDAL ENERGY PROJECTS

COSTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSENTING AND MONITORING Substantial costs are incurred in addressing environmental risks in the development of wave and tidal energy projects, including baseline surveys, predictive work to inform Environmental Impact Assessment, and monitoring of actual impacts. Despite their expense, these activities do not always demonstrably reduce the uncertainty around environmental impacts, and unpredicted costs often arise. This article highlights how better scoping exercises could improve the cost-effectiveness of environmental investigations, reducing the overall cost to the sector and public bodies of developing the evidence base needed to manage the risks. Words: Lucy Greenhill, Renewable Energy Services Manager, SAMS Research Services Ltd (SRSL)

Wind&WaveCONNECT

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

ECOLOGY: WAVE AND TIDAL ENERGY PROJECTS

The EIA process is running in parallel with design and feasibility studies, which compounds the challenges faced in managing the scope of risk and associated costs during project development.

Images: Courtesy of SRSL

ost wave and tidal energy projects remain in the consenting phase around the UK, with consents granted for the Sound of Islay Tidal Energy Project and MCT’s Skerries Tidal Array and a number of projects currently under review by the authorities (e.g. Kyle Rhea and Meygen tidal projetcs). Significant resources are therefore being directed at Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and other legislative demands of the consenting regime). The time and cost of satisfying the requirements of the regulators and advisors presents a significant hurdle which is difficult for industry to predict when an initial lease is agreed with The Crown Estate. The EIA process is running in parallel

with design and feasibility studies, which compounds the challenges faced in managing the scope of risk and associated costs during project development. From an environmental perspective, key costs arise in presenting of evidence of impacts at a particular project site, to fulfil regulatory requirements. This can be broken down into the main phases, shown in Figure 1. These activities aim to reduce uncertainty around the impacts of a project; baseline studies and predictive modelling tools should provide sufficient information to enable the regulator to grant consent. After consent, monitoring should be undertaken to establish the actual level

Figure 1 Main phases of EIA process

1. BASELINE SURVEY E.g. 2 year baseline marine mammal and bird surveys to support EIA

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

2. PREDICTIVE MODELLING within EIA –e.g. collision risk modelling, modelling the effects of noise

3. MONITORING of actual effects at the project after consent has been granted and the project has been built

of impact. In some cases these activities (baseline data collection, modelling and project monitoring) planned in a disjointed manner, which can result in unpredicted costs. Problems are encountered when undertaking predictive modelling based on insufficient baseline information, and time and resources are needed to work through the compounded uncertainty which results. This manifests in extensive liaison with consultees and regulators to reach agreement, which, even when the apparent risk to environmental aspects is low, places significant demands on stakeholders in facilitating a robust and legally sound consenting process. After consent, programmes to monitor the actual environmental impacts at the development are a legal requirement attached as conditions of the consent licence. Drivers for monitoring range from a generic ‘validating predictions made in EIA’, to providing a framework for adaptive management, by which project changes are made if a pre-defined level of impact is identified. Adaptive management is mooted as a way to consent wave and tidal energy projects in the face of uncertainty around impacts, with the ‘Deploy and Monitor policy’1 initially promoted to facilitate this in Scotland, and to provide reassurance to industry and investors.

Wind&WaveCONNECT

ECOLOGY: WAVE AND TIDAL ENERGY PROJECTS

However, the reality of the level of monitoring required for an adaptive approach should be carefully considered. As Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) have stated,2 this policy should be framed around “explicit commitment that consent to continue is strictly subject to evidence that there is no significant adverse impact”. However, the costs and achievability of establishing impacts attributable to wave and tidal energy projects are typically not discussed in detail until the consenting process is well underway, and may represent significant costs to industry. In all areas, better discussion around the likely requirements for baseline survey, predictive modelling and monitoring during planning and scoping stages, could reduce the costs across stakeholders through the development of more targeted and proportionate approaches to assessment of risk from wave and tidal energy projects. Firstly, the need and scope of these activities should be assessed in greater depth during project scoping between industry, the regulators and their statutory advisors. Early discussion should address:

• What is appropriate and feasible regarding baseline information to support predictive modelling? • What levels of certainty are likely to be achieved through modelling? • What monitoring is likely to be required and is realistic at the project site?

Currently, these activities (baseline data collection, modelling and project monitoring) tend to be approached in an incoherent way, which can result in significant unplanned costs.

Wind&WaveCONNECT

This would maintain focus on the ultimate questions that need to be answered, before and after consent is granted, engendering a common level of expectation between stakeholders on how information will be gathered and presented to manage environmental risk in project development. Agreement at this stage would provide a useful reference point for making decisions on refining scopes of work to assess risk and impacts during project consenting.

Data-gathering at reasonable cost could be best undertaken on larger spatial and temporal scales, and would be best carried out in coordination between developers with adjacent sites, and even with public bodies, where reporting on sector effects overlaps. For mobile species, informed discussion on the realistic costs of gathering baseline information, undertaking modelling and monitoring to detect impacts at the project site, may result in the conclusion that strategic approaches are appropriate. In some cases, producing a baseline on marine mammals of sufficient statistical robustness to support modelling at a small, project-level scale may be financially prohibitive, considering the low numbers and wide-ranging nature of species. In fact, as statistical robustness relies fundamentally on the numbers of animals seen, it is more costly to produce a baseline to support robust conclusions in areas where there are low numbers of mammals (and therefore lower risk of impact), than where numbers are higher. Datagathering at reasonable cost could be best undertaken on larger spatial and temporal scales, and would be best carried out in coordination between

developers with adjacent sites, and even with public bodies, where reporting on sector effects overlaps (e.g. through monitoring required under Strategic Environmental Assessment). This has been the basis for the application of the Joint Cetacean Protocol (JCP)3 to renewable energy development, and further development of this initiative, and others, is required to make measurable reductions in the investment required by wave and tidal developers. Until deployment of commercialscale arrays has enabled the gathering of sufficient evidence to understand actual environmental impacts of wave and tidal energy projects, consenting according to legislative requirements will remain both challenging and costly. However, there exists an opportunity for key stakeholders to address this earlier in project planning; supported discussion could identify how environmental risk can be assessed and managed in a proportionate way, with scientifically robust, yet costeffective solutions at a strategic and project level. These scoping discussions are critical to ensure that the design of baseline survey, predictive modelling and monitoring programmes are coherent and targeted, ultimately resulting in financial savings for the sector. Lucy Greenhill was previously employed as Offshore Industries Advisor at the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and is now Renewable Energy Services Manager at SAMS Research Services Ltd (SRSL). SRSL support the development of cost-effective and proportionate risk-management practices in the planning and consenting of offshore renewable energy developments. For details of SRSL consultancy and survey services visit: www.samsrsl.co.uk References: 1. www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/ Doc/295194/0119338.doc 2. http://www.scotlink.org/files/publication/ LINKReports/LINK_ACME_Report0610web.pdf 3. http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-5657

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

Directory Magazine Diary of Events Jobs Advertising

Wind&waveCONNECT WW Website Ad.indd 1

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

www.windandwaveconnect.co.uk 17/05/2013 09:15

Wind&WaveCONNECT

FEATURE: EUROPEAN MARINE ENERGY CENTRE

EMEC’S DYNAMIC DECADE Words: Penny Hitchin

ith over 30,000km of coastline, the UK should be ideally placed to benefit from energy generated from the sea, but developing the technology to harness this on a commercial scale is a challenge that has not been seriously addressed until this century. The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) is leading the quest. Based in the Orkney Islands off the northern tip of the Scottish mainland, the visionary centre opened for business 10 years ago. Funding of around £30m has come from the Scottish Government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the Carbon Trust, UK Government, Scottish Enterprise, the European Union and Orkney Islands Council, but the not-for-profit centre is now self-financing. A low-key start has seen a dramatic ramp-up in the level of interest, activity and turnover in the last few years, and now developers from all over the world flock to the site.

The centre has supported the deployment of more grid-connected devices than any other single site in the world.

Images: Courtesy of EMEC

Wind&WaveCONNECT

The pioneering centre leads the world in providing full-scale open-sea test facilities for wave and tidal energy converters. Developers of wave and tidal devices can arrange to install their demonstration models in consented and approved grid-connected test berths for full-scale testing in ocean waves and tidal currents. During its dynamic decade, EMEC has seen the dream of converting the sea’s energy into electricity realised. The centre has supported the deployment of more grid-connected

devices than any other single site in the world. However, huge challenges lie ahead in learning how to construct and deploy multiple devices that can operate economically for years offshore.

Orkney: big waves and strong tides The best European locations for the development of wave and tidal energy lie in the Atlantic arc along the west coasts of the UK, Ireland, France, Spain and Portugal. The UK domestic tidal stream resource represents around half of the European resource, and more than one-tenth of the known global resource. EMEC’s location in the Orkney Islands on the edge of Scotland’s Pentland Firth gives it access to one of the fastest tidal races in the world, with up to one million tonnes of water rushing between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea at speeds of around 120 metres per minute. EMEC is run out of offices in the port of Stromness on Orkney Mainland. The nearby Billia Croo wave energy site experiences the force of the Atlantic Ocean. Five cabled test berths lie two kilometres offshore in water up to 70 metres deep, with another in shallower water nearer the shore. The subsea cables feed into an onshore substation which houses the main switchgear, back-up generator and communications room. The electricity generated by the wave energy converters feeds directly into the national grid. The tidal energy site at the Fall of Warness is in a narrow channel buffeted by very strong currents as tides flowing from the North Atlantic Ocean to the North Sea funnel through gaps between islands. The site consists of eight tidal test berths in water of between 12 and 50 metres. Underwater cables connect to a substation on the island of Eday, which feeds into the national grid. The cables also contain fibre optics for communication and monitoring.

New scale test sites at Scapa Flow (wave) and in Shapinsay Sound (tidal) provide the opportunity for developers to test smaller-scale prototype marine energy devices, techniques and components in conditions that are less extreme than at the main sites. As developers build up knowledge about the performance and durability of their devices, an emerging local supply chain is developing skills and expertise in installation and maintenance of the new technology. Each EMEC client spends an estimated £1m in the local economy per single prototype device.

Challenges ahead Marine energy has the potential to supply up to a fifth of Britain’s electricity demand, but the commercialisation of the technology is in its infancy and many challenges lie ahead. EMEC is Europe’s leading marine energy centre. Others include Wave Hub on the north Cornwall coast and the Biscay Marine Platform (Bimep) test centre north of

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

FEATURE: EUROPEAN MARINE ENERGY CENTRE

Bilbao on Spain’s Atlantic coast, both of which have four 5MW berths, and also the Wave Energy Centre in Portugal and the WavEC pilot plant in the Azores.

An emerging local supply chain is developing skills and expertise in installation and maintenance of the new technology. A multi-pronged approach is needed to fast-track the industry to a stage where the sea’s energy can be readily harvested. Engineering, installation, cabling, connections, support vessels, operations and maintenance are some of the practical problems, while regimes for regulation, consent, environment and health and safety are in the early stages of development.

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

The Douglas-Westwood World Wave and Tidal Report 2011–2015 identifies the UK, Canada and US as the three biggest markets for wave and tidal energy and forecasts a total of 150MW of wave and tidal current stream capacity to be installed by 2015, of which 110MW will be in the UK. Department for Energy and Climate Change energy statistics show 6MW installed by the end of 2012 (1MW in England, 1MW Northern Ireland and 4MW Scotland). From this tiny base, the UK national target is 2GW by 2020. In its first decade EMEC has played a vital role in facilitating development of commercial-scale marine energy devices. If progress continues at this rate, by the time it celebrates its second decade, we could all be using electricity from marine energy!

www.emec.org.uk

Wind&WaveCONNECT

FEATURE: TIDAL ENERGY

CAPITALISING ON TIDAL SUPPLY CHAIN INNOVATION The UK is commonly known to be the leading market for tidal energy. Its tidal resources, government support, technology design and project development are currently unmatched anywhere else in the world.

B Words: Abbie Badcock-Broe Marketing and Business Development Manager, IT Power Ltd

y 2020, 100–200MW of tidal energy could be installed around the UK. For a relatively nascent industry with only a few MW of capacity currently installed, achieving these figures requires a significant step-up from one-off prototypes to repeatable, large-scale manufacturing of commercial turbines. How can supply chain companies help lower costs when production numbers are so low? And will the UK dominate in servicing the supply chain?

UK plc Political rhetoric from the UK Coalition Government assures us of the importance of manufacturing marine energy devices and their associated equipment on home soil: according to recent forecasts by RenewableUK, the wave and tidal energy industry could be worth £6.1bn and create nearly 20,000 jobs by 2035. The UK’s lead in the tidal energy development positions it well to supply to a global market. As an export market, marine energy could contribute a further £1.4–4.3bn to UK GDP up to 2050 according to the Technology Innovation Needs Assessment.

Cutting costs, cutting corners? Presently, the cost of tidal energy is too high to be competitive with many other forms of electricity generation. From IT Power’s recent analysis, the industry faces capital costs of between £5m and £7m per MW installed for early array projects, with the cost of

Wind&WaveCONNECT

energy ranging between £220 and £300 per MWh. The industry is being squeezed to cut costs by up to 60 per cent and strive for £100 per MWh in order to be competitive with offshore wind energy. These initial high costs are a result of the early stage of the industry. As the sector starts to mature, significant opportunities arise to innovate and reduce costs, whilst applying lessons learned from other industries.

The past two years have seen an unprecedented level of investment from large-scale industrial OEMs. Siemens, Alstom, Andritz and Voith have either acquired or increased a majority stake in tidal technologies. As tidal energy technologies evolve from prototypes to commercial devices, the high costs will reduce as a result of several factors: commercial devices will no longer require the bespoke manufacture of components necessary for prototypes and costs will reduce through economies of scale. Adopting sensible design and manufacturing approaches, such as structural design optimisation, can

reduce material quantities whilst maintaining the strength of the device. It is expected that by 2020 demonstration arrays will demonstrate cost reductions from prototypes to multiple devices and that future, second-generation device arrays will exhibit further reductions.

Engineered from the bottom up The past two years have seen an unprecedented level of investment from large-scale industrial OEMs. Siemens, Alstom, Andritz and Voith have either acquired or increased a majority stake in tidal technologies. The exact business models of these OEMs may vary, but like the wind energy sector, most plan to concentrate on their core technology. As the industry matures, project development will be left to project developers and infrastructure to suppliers. Recently Siemens unveiled its new manufacturing facility in Bristol to assemble its SeaGen devices (developed by Marine Current Turbines). This facility is the first of its kind and signifies an assurance by the German company in local, UK manufacturing. Suppliers able to offer

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

FEATURE: TIDAL ENERGY

Suppliers able to offer specialised components such as rotors, gearboxes, control systems, substations or installation solutions will do well to take note of this shift in the market.

specialised components such as rotors, gearboxes, control systems, substations or installation solutions will do well to take note of this shift in the market. Many technology developers prefer to utilise existing, proven components already available and adapt them where necessary. In the future, companies providing essential components and services to the industry may be offered significant supply contracts or even be purchased outright by these larger OEMs.

Filling the supply chain gaps For the gaps within the supply chain that cannot be filled by existing solutions, technology innovation will help to reduce costs and overcome the barriers to the progression of the industry. Innovations in electrical infrastructure, subsea cabling, O&M, and installation can all deliver substantial reductions in tidal energy project costs. So far, each turbine has been connected by individual cables to shore – however, innovations in electrical infrastructure will lower cable costs and simplify the onshore grid connection. Furthermore, concepts for subsea or surface-piercing substations

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

are being investigated to develop solutions similar to those used by offshore wind. As a means to lower the costs of installation, tidal energy project developers are looking for reliable, low-cost options to avoid using expensive, specialised oil & gas vessels (with day rates between £100–150K). As an example, IT Power is currently leading a Technology Strategy Board-funded project to deliver a low-cost installation vessel specifically for the tidal energy industry by 2015.

To address this issue, the UK has developed several purpose-built marine energy test facilities capable of simulating offshore conditions. Recently, technology developer Atlantis Resources Corporation tested their drive train for several months at the Narec facilities. Similarly, composites manufacturer Gurit received funding to test the durability of their tidal blades. These initiatives demonstrate the commitment companies have pledged to the sector thus far. Today’s gaps in the tidal energy supply chain offer suppliers a range of opportunities to capitalise on a rapidly growing UK industry. However, before rewards can be gained, an investment of time, engineering design and product development needs to happen. Engagement by suppliers with the industry to identify and benefit from these opportunities should happen as soon as possible to gain a competitive advantage. For companies willing to take the risk, however, the pay-off will inevitably be lucrative.

Images: Main: TGL’s DEEPgen IV, 1MW turbine, courtesy of Alstom Inset: Atlantis Resource Corporation’s 1MW, AR1000 tidal turbine, courtesy of ARC

IT Power is a world-leading international renewable energy consultancy with a dedicated marine energy team specialising in technical design, project support and market strategy.

If at first you don’t succeed, test, test, and test again Reliability is perhaps the most important challenge facing the supply chain. Minimising unscheduled maintenance is a priority and manufacturing components that can reliably operate in a harsh marine environment is no easy feat. Innovations must, therefore, be repeatedly tested to ensure they will perform in aggressive tidal conditions. But how can suppliers test their equipment in marine conditions unless their kit is part of a deployed tidal turbine?

www.itpower.co.uk/marine

Wind&WaveCONNECT

FEATURE: SWMEP

SOUTH WEST MARINE ENERGY PARK COLLABORATION IN PRACTICE Words: Peter Kydd Director of Strategic Consulting, Parsons Brinckerhoff and Chair, South West Marine Energy Park

Wind&WaveCONNECT

he South West England and the Pentland Firth & Orkney Waters Marine Energy Parks were established by the UK and Scottish governments in 2012, in order to support and accelerate the commercial development of the marine energy sector in the UK. To date these are the only marine energy parks (MEPs) in the UK. Whilst each will provide a focus for investment and industrial growth within its own geographic area, both MEPs recognise the value of working together. Since its formation, the ethos characterising the South West Marine Energy Park (SWMEP) has been defined by its collaborative approach. It was formed out of a collaboration between the public and private sector to convert the Coalition Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Whilst each will provide a focus for investment and industrial growth within its own geographic area, both MEPs recognise the value of working together. vision for a MEP into practice. Competing consultants, universities, device developers, marine contractors, local authorities and local enterprise partnerships worked together for the greater good and the results speak for themselves. New relationships have been formed, new initiatives developed

and the outcome has been a new coherence about what the marine energy sector can deliver from the South West. Extending this collaborative approach to other regions in the UK engaged in marine energy is a natural progression, and an important step was taken earlier this year at RenewableUKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wave and Tidal conference in London, when the SWMEP signed an agreement with the Pentland Firth & Orkney Waters MEP, witnessed by the UK Minister for Energy and Climate Change Rt Hon Greg Barker MP and Fergus Ewing MSP, the Scottish Energy Minister (see photo left). So what lies behind this collaboration agreement, and why is it so important to both MEPs and the UK and Scottish Governments? The answer is relatively simple.

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

FEATURE: SWMEP

In particular the two marine energy parks will work together to: a) Share information and provide policy input to the UK and Scottish governments, Marine Energy Programme Board and its working groups, and to other national bodies such as the Crown Estate and Ofgem

c) Share best practice and support joint initiatives in the areas of community engagement, socioeconomic and environmental impacts d) Encourage and provide input to regulatory bodies to streamline and harmonise consenting and planning processes

b) Identify common issues and barriers in key areas such as port infrastructure, grid, investment and funding

e) Promote supply chain development by hosting joint networking events, building relationships and encouraging collaboration between businesses

Only by working together can the UK consolidate its knowledge and experience in the emerging marine energy sector and deliver a world-class industry. Our agreement with Scotland is deliberately high level, defining the principles we seek to achieve rather than the detail of how we will work together. We have also defined the first steps in how we intend to deliver this on the ground. These include a social event on the eve of the All Energy Conference in Aberdeen, reciprocal trade missions and a coordinated approach when responding to the detail of Electricity Market Reform through the Energy Bill and its implications for marine energy. But what will make this effective? Although the social event at All Energy may at first appear to be a somewhat superficial action, it was one of the most important investments in

establishing working relationships that create the bond of trust which is so critical to successful collaborations. My own firm, Parsons Brinckerhoff, has coincidentally been undertaking a research project1 to understand the science behind collaboration and what catalysts and investments are required to form successful collaborations. In researching many examples of collaboration on infrastructure projects, we found that the most successful required a strong bond of trust in addition to the more conventional investments of time, money and reputation. We are looking forward to working with our colleagues in Scotland in pursuit of the marine energy prize. There are of course differences â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for example our respective geographic areas have different energy character-

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

f) Work together with UKTI to promote the marine energy sector through inward investment and trade shows g) Encourage collaborative research and technology development to leverage the capabilities and assets of the universities and demonstration facilities within the marine energy parks h) Support and enable collaboration with other UK & European regions. Extract from the Collaboration Agreement

istics and challenges and the way in which we are organised, funded and governed is different. If anything, this reinforces why we need to collaborate and informs where we need to invest our efforts to achieve a greater degree of success than if we were just working in isolation. Although there are only two formally organised MEPs at present, there are other areas of the UK with a significant interest in marine energy, and within the SWMEP we are working hard to develop those collaborative ties, particularly with our near neighbours â&#x20AC;&#x201C; South Wales and the Channel Islands. For MEPs, this is the start of what we hope to be a long and prosperous journey for UK plc.

Images: Main image: Courtesy of Ocean Energy Ltd Above: Courtesy of SWMEP

References 1. The output of this research will be published on www.pbworld.com in June 2013.

Wind&WaveCONNECT

FEATURE: MARINE INDUSTRY NETWORKS

INDUSTRY NETWORKS HELP RENEWABLE ENERGY SURGE IN WALES Words: Laura Norris Centre for Economic Geography, Cardiff University

ales is experiencing a surge in marine renewable energy activity, with hubs developing in both the north and south of the country. In south west Wales, the Milford Haven Port Authority (MHPA) waterway offers deep-water access; this has resulted in a strong non-renewable energy presence in the region with a large oil refinery in Pembrokeshire as well as two Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminals. The MHPA provides an estimated 25–30 per cent of the UK’s energy needs and is considered by many to be the ‘energy capital of the UK’. The region has a well-developed supply chain to address the needs of the non-renewable energy industry, such as steel fabricators, ship repairers,

boat and barge builders, marine and other engineers too. This location amongst the energy giants with a network of experienced local support services, including a skilled workforce and extensive infrastructure, has allowed the region to easily adapt to the needs of the renewable sector. Alongside this supply chain, the peak tidal flows around the Ramsey Sound off the coast of Milford Haven make the region an ideal testing ground for nascent wave and tidal energy technology. Many renewable firms in the region possess strong connections with universities, which have combined with other local actors to form the knowledge-sharing network Marine Energy Pembrokeshire (MEP). As a network, MEP evolved from work

Alongside this supply chain, the peak tidal flows around the Ramsey Sound off the coast of Milford Haven make the region an ideal testing ground for nascent wave and tidal energy technology.

Wind&WaveCONNECT

carried out by Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum on behalf of Welsh Government and local stakeholders. The project is now managed by PCF, who provide that vital neutral and independent co-ordination role that is an important component to the success of the group. Membership is now diverse, involving Welsh Government, industry, supply chain companies, academia, local government, local interest groups and the Port of Milford Haven. Whilst the group is primarily focused on Pembrokeshire, increasingly much of its work is pan-Wales to include consent guidance for wave and tidal developers and the emerging supply chain support project. Prior to the MEP network forming, there was no organised method of sharing information on marine energy. Although the interests of the members are varied, its importance has grown in significance, particularly as the rate of knowledge-sharing and collaboration between members has increased. Notably, many of these organisations are typically competitors, but through the network engage in a process of collaboration whereby competitive

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

FEATURE: MARINE INDUSTRY NETWORKS

Images: Main: DeltaStream tidal energy device, courtesy of Tidal Energy Ltd Right: Ramsey Sound, courtesy of Visit Wales

instincts are matched by a realisation of the benefits of cooperation. One of the members of the network, Tidal Energy Limited, deployed Wales’ first tidal energy device in the region in 2012. Its managing director is of the firm view that the network is “very good for networking as other developers are in the room at the same time as well as consultants and individuals oriented toward the supply chain. It is good to get everyone in one room, swap stories, and see how they can advance; especially with the procedures of developing the area... it has aided us to know who is in the industry”. Many of the renewable energy technology developers in the region are very small but growing businesses, and membership of the MEP has provided benefits to these companies not only in terms of access to contacts in the supply chain, but also to lower information costs, such as learning about patenting or consenting processes first-hand from another developer. The engagement of universities is similarly providing a two-way flow of

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

Through creating a space for the discussion of problems and sharing of information, MEP has served to strengthen and connect the supply chain, and has also allowed developers to lower their costs and eliminate potential problems. knowledge. Universities, such as those that form part of the Swansea Universityled Low Carbon Research Institute (LCRI), are in need of ‘real-life’ cases to explore, with data that can be modelled; equally, the private-sector technology developers need modelled scenarios to understand the impact their equipment may have on the environment. This inter-dependent relationship has greatly contributed to the work of all parties. Whilst the development of the marine energy sector in south west Wales, and indeed the UK, is still in its relatively early phases, the impact of the network as a method of sharing knowledge is clear. Through creating a space for the discussion of problems and sharing of information, MEP has served to strengthen and connect the

supply chain, and has also allowed developers to lower their costs and eliminate potential problems. In the long term, it is likely that the growth of the sector will have a positive impact on a local economy that has suffered for a number of years, especially as the smaller businesses grow and their markets expand. This article is based on research undertaken for the KIMERAA project funded by European Regional Development Fund. Laura Norris is research associate at the Centre for Economic Geography, School of Planning and Geography, Cardiff University

www.kimeraa.eu

Wind&WaveCONNECT

FEATURE: ANTIFOULING COATINGS

ANTIFOULING COATINGS FOR MARINE RENEWABLE DEVICES As the offshore renewable energy industry moves from prototype testing towards array-scale projects, new challenges are emerging in addition to that of maximum energy extraction. One such challenge is the prevention of and maintenance associated with the unwanted growth of marine organisms (biofouling) on marine renewable devices. The Plymouth Marine Laboratory talks about its work on the Energy Technology Institute’s ReDAPT project to test the efficacy of a range of antifouling coatings and establish best practice in this emerging market.

Biofouling – Drag Words: Dr Tom Vance Plymouth Marine Laboratory

Biofouling has been causing a headache for the shipping industry for hundreds of years, with records dating back to the first century AD describing biofouling as a performancelimiting factor. It is easy to understand how the dense growth of marine organisms such as mussels and barnacles increases the complexity or roughness of a surface, thereby affecting hydrodynamic performance by increasing drag. What is surprising is that even microbial fouling is thought to exert a significant effect on hydrodynamic performance of submerged structures like marine renewable devices (MRDs). To date, there has been very little work aimed at trying to understand the link between MRD energy extraction potential and biofouling. However, the shipping industry is well aware that heavy fouling causes hydrodynamic drag, and performance penalties of up to 45 per cent are being described in the scientific literature.

Corrosion It is not just hydrodynamic performance that is altered by biofouling. Many common fouling species such as barnacles grow hard calcareous shells which can damage protective coatings, exposing metals to the marine environment. This results in accelerated corrosion, also known as bio-corrosion.

Invasive species There is currently much debate on the likelihood that arrays of MRDs will

Wind&WaveCONNECT

provide stepping stones for invasive marine organisms which are expanding their distribution. Invasive species such as the tunicate Didemnum vexillum can dramatically alter marine ecological processes, leading to reduced diversity, environmental and economic damage to an area.

Fouling control on MRDs has received relatively little attention to date, perhaps because relatively few MRDs are in long-term operational use in UK waters. Fouling and the renewables industry Fouling control on MRDs has received relatively little attention to date, perhaps because relatively few MRDs are in long-term operational use in UK waters. Most devices have been deployed for relatively short periods where fouling has not yet established itself to a point where it becomes problematic. This will change once deployment times increase. Another reason for the apparent lack of attention to biofouling control on MRDs is the assumption that established methods of fouling control, such as antifouling coatings, will be sufficient to deter fouling on MRDs. However, most modern antifouling coatings are highly refined technologies

specifically designed for the particular application of controlling fouling on ship hulls, which experience different hydrodynamic conditions, scouring resistance and fouling pressure compared to a typical MRD.

Plymouth Marine Laboratory and the ReDAPT Project The Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) and its trading subsidiary PML Applications Ltd are working to try and characterise coating performance on MRDs. PML is establishing best practice for coating choice to enable device developers and asset managers to take action and prolong the operational performance of their devices and reduce maintenance costs. PML is a partner in the Energy Technologies Institute-commissioned and funded ReDAPT (Reliable Data Acquisition Platform from Tidal) project, which seeks to install an innovative 1MW tidal generator at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney. The project will test the performance of the tidal generator in different operational conditions. Its aim is to increase public and industry confidence in tidal turbine technologies by providing a wide range of environmental impact and performance information, as well as demonstrating a new, reliable turbine design. PML’s role in the ReDAPT project is to test the efficacy of a range of antifouling coatings to establish which technology type is most suitable for use on MRDs. To address this question

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

FEATURE: ANTIFOULING COATINGS

PML is undertaking what is thought to be at the time of writing the most comprehensive coatings testing programme exclusively for the renewable energy industry. PML is testing eight different market-ready antifouling coatings, a GRP material and a control material in a series of long-term in-situ trials at the EMEC test centre. The coatings were carefully chosen to represent the full technical spread of antifouling technologies on the market and include high-end, advanced non-toxic polymers through to a budget-priced user-applied biocidal coating.

PML is testing eight different market-ready antifouling coatings, a GRP material and a control material in a series of long-term in-situ trials at the EMEC test centre. Purpose-designed coating test frames were manufactured and fitted directly to the Alstom Ocean Energy device, now installed and under test at EMEC. PML is also testing coatings on stand-alone pods on the sea bed adjacent to the turbine, which will ensure long-term testing in the site independent of the activities of the turbine platform.

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

The data gathered from the experiment will allow the antifouling performance of the coatings to be assessed in terms of their ability to deter fouling together with the operational life expectancy of each coating system. All this information will be collated after testing to allow developers and device operators to make informed choices about coating selection, which will help when scheduling maintenance work and help ensure devices are operating as efficiently as possible.

Fouling prediction PML Applications Ltd and the Scottish Association of Marine Science (SAMS) are also involved in novel biofouling work concerning the renewable energy industry which is supported by the Natural Environment Research Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s (NERC) Knowledge Exchange Programme. PML Applications is working with Dr Adrian Macleod from SAMS, who is developing a prototype tool which will enable the physical effects of heavy fouling to be predicted on a tidal or wave energy device. Adrian is using a combination of data describing fouling assemblages sampled from navigation buoys around the Scottish coast, with computer modelling and advanced imagery techniques to calculate the physical loads and strains that fouling will exert on MRDs and their infrastructure. This information will be of great value to engineers when formulating design specifications for MRD components as the extra loading caused by severe

The information will allow developers and device operators to make informed choices about coating selection, which will help when scheduling maintenance work and help ensure devices are operating as efficiently as possible. fouling, and its build-up over time, can be accounted for. This will ensure that components are adequately specified but not over-engineered, thus avoiding inflated capital and maintenance costs.

Image: Courtesy of Christopher Harling, PML Applications Ltd

Summary The marine renewable industry faces many challenges as it develops, with some of the initially less obvious challenges set to become headline issues. PML and PML Applications are working with the ETI, NERC, SAMS and others to apply novel and robust science that will ensure the implications of biofouling for the renewable industry are understood and predictable, thereby allowing the industry to focus on the main task of producing sustainable, cost-effective energy.

www.pml.ac.uk

Wind&WaveCONNECT

ADVERTORIAL: AQUARIUS MARINE COATINGS

CLEAN ENERGY: THE ULTIMATE ANTIFOUL SOLUTION

Words: Ewan Clark

Images: Top: Courtesy of Rolls-Royce Right: Courtesy of Marine Current Turbines

Wind&WaveCONNECT

ithin the shipping industry and boating fraternity, the ever-present problem posed by marine growth is well known. If a boat is to maintain operational and financial efficiency, having an effective biofouling deterrent system in place is of paramount importance. And of course, the same is true for the latest in-water electricity generating equipment – a fact not fully appreciated by some designers at the outset. Put simply, the adverse effects of fouling were not given due consideration by engineers unfamiliar with the marine environment. As time passed and computerdesigned and operated simulations were transformed into physical equipment, the practical implications relating to installation, operation and servicing came to the fore. Conventional fouling-control coatings, as used in shipping, tend to be biocide-enriched paints. These ablative coatings leach their chemical cocktails to maintain clean surfaces. As effective as these systems generally are, their short life-span limits their usefulness in the renewables sector. While it is straightforward enough to lift and repaint a ship every few years, this is simply not a viable option for sea-bed mounted turbines. Operators of such turbines are looking to specify a service interval of between 20 and 30 years – a performance time-frame not manageable for a conventional antifoul paint.

The solution came in the form of CoppercoatTM, a unique blend of modern, water-miscible epoxy resin and spherical metallic copper powder. Originally launched to the yachting community in the early 1990s, early adoptees of this system confirmed that this hard-wearing and non-ablative coating could provide a high level of antifouling protection for more than 20 years, before requiring renewal. By the turn of this century it was no longer just the yachtsmen that benefitted from the high-performance and extended longevity provided by CoppercoatTM. It was being applied to an increasing number of industrial installations, such as the concrete-built effluent diffusers off the Auckland coastline. By virtue of its strong epoxy nature, the biocide leach rate of CoppercoatTM is not only well within the guidelines of bodies such as the HSE in the UK, the EPA in the US and the International Maritime Organsiation, but is far lower than those of the vast majority of conventional antifoul paints. As a consequence of this, Aquarius Marine Coatings Ltd, manufactures of CoppercoatTM, were granted the ‘Most Eco-Friendly Marine Business’ award at the 2011 China (Shanghai) International Boat Show. The pioneering turbine installed in the Bristol Channel by Marine Current Turbines was the first to use CoppercoatTM, with MCT manager Peter Coppock confirming that the treated blades and hub remained fouling-free for the duration of the five-year trial. Crucially this allowed for the efficient circulation of the turbine, resulting in on-target power generation. With the viability of tide-powered turbines increasingly confirmed, new entrants to the field such as RollsRoyce also specified CoppercoatTM for use on their Orkney-based test equipment. It is not just the latest turbine technology within the renewable sector that is benefitting from CoppercoatTM. Increasingly, the boats used to access both wind-farm and sub-sea turbine fields appreciate that a longer-lasting antifoul means less down-time and

greater commercial efficiency. Terry Batt of ‘Vanishing Point’ reports, “We were blown away with our first vessel being treated with CoppercoatTM as we found that in over two years working out of Barrow-in-Furness, which has amazing weed growth, the only thing we ever had to do was run the vessel up the beach, and it took just one hour to jet-wash away the slime residue. We have saved so much money on a 51ft catamaran by not having to antifoul every year – not only on the expense, but also on fuel savings and extra performance.” A further key advantage is that CoppercoatTM can be applied at a time and place convenient to the equipment manufacturer. Not only are traditional antifoul paints soft and susceptible to damage during transportation, they also deteriorate during air exposure so need to be applied shortly before submersion. These limitations often restrict the application to being last minute and in-situ, which is hardly ideal. CoppercoatTM on the other hand can be factory-applied many weeks, months or years before final component assembly and installation. To that end, the above advantages of CoppercoatTM clearly show that under many arduous conditions, whether operating wind farm service vessels, maintaining wave energy conversion devices or installing marine turbines, CoppercoatTM offers the only proven long-term, environmentallyfriendly deterrent to marine biofouling.

www.coppercoat.com

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

WaveAndWind_half_May2013_1.1_182 x 126mm 16/05/2013 15:54 Page 1

World’s longest lasting anti-foul Provides extended service intervals

Aquarius Marine Coatings Limited Unit 10, St Patrick’s Industrial Estate, Shillingstone, Dorset DT11 0SA +44 (0)1258 861059 | info@coppercoat.com | www.coppercoat.com Environmental award winning anti-foul – the choice of the renewables sector

Enhancing the Performance of metals and materials

Controlled shot peening | C.A.S.E Superfinishing | Laser peening | Engineered Coatings | Analytical services Over 70 international divisions and on-site processing worldwide

www.cwst.co.uk

eurosales@cwst.com +44 (0) 1635 279621

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

A business unit of Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies

Wind&WaveCONNECT

HEALTH & SAFETY: SAFETY INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT

WHOSE RISK IS IT ANYWAY?

Words: Robin Stowell and Thorsten Guhr Conversulting

Merging industries model

Evolving identity

It could be considered that the growing participation in the offshore wind and marine energy sector is a merging of resources from other industries, notably maritime, oil and gas, civil construction and utilities (Figure 1). There is use of conventional equipment, managed risks and defined competencies transferring from established market segments that fit neatly into the jigsaw of this new, complex business environment. This typically applies to larger established organisations with key duty holder roles e.g. developers and principal contractors.

In both models presented, the industry cannot be described as mature or immature. It should also be recognised that both models are operating simultaneously, interacting and very dynamic. In human terms, we can compare the sector to an adolescent: someone with a strong personality but not yet independent of their parental origins. It requires a holistic overview of the whole picture to really understand where the risks are and how they can be controlled. Unfortunately, this jigsaw didn’t come with a picture on the box cover! However well managed, making the wrong choices based on an unclear picture could increase risk exposure and have unintended consequences (Figure 2). Doing the right thing and doing it well is usually the safest and ultimately most cost-effective option.

In human terms, we can compare the sector to an adolescent: someone with a strong personality but not yet independent of their parental origins. Emerging industry model

Wind&WaveCONNECT

There is also new equipment, unknown risks and inexperience. The emergence of new organisations offering products and services to fill the void demonstrates a high level of innovation and entrepreneurship, not only in the UK but also the wider European market. Whilst it is likely that many start-ups will find quick success and short-term profitability, this ‘wind rush’ to be part of the offshore jigsaw evolution will inevitably lead to some pieces being fitted together through mergers and acquisitions; some pieces competing to occupy the same place, and some not fitting the picture at all. This typically applies to contractors and sub-contractors and develops into confusion, disharmony, lack of responsibility and price wars, leading to cost-cutting, personnel demotivation and erosion of safety performance.

Wider implications of adolescent behaviour In many workplaces it is recognised that the young and inexperienced pose higher risks to themselves and others. Additional controls are often necessary in these circumstances. Induction programmes deal with the immediate needs, but competence development takes time with both organisational and personal effort. The same principles apply to the offshore wind and marine energy sector. The implications of using inappropriate equipment, wrong techniques and ill-defined competencies could be disastrous. It’s not just the personnel involved who are affected – their families, employing company and the whole sector can suffer the consequences. There are several observers who relish the failure of renewable energy activities and make no differentiation between wind, wave, tidal or solar businesses. The UK Health and Safety Executive does not consider this sector as high risk1, but investors would be very cautious of backing ventures with a fragile safety reputation.

‘Standard’ assessment of safety management systems The traditional approach to assessing an organisation’s safety performance is mainly based upon examination of the safety management system. This is usually achieved through third-party certification to a recognised Standard e.g. OHSAS 18001 or through an industry-approved verification service. Additionally, the application of the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2007 provides guidance on core criteria for demonstration of duty holder competence. For many suppliers and purchasers, certification is perceived as the ultimate end-game, but it can allow organisations to ignore human behavioural aspects. Standards are just sets of minimum requirements for a particular aspect of business that are often not integrated into the larger whole. A framed certificate on the Chief Executive’s wall gives no indication of good safety, quality or environmental performance in the future. “What got you here won’t get you there.” (Marshall Goldsmith, author and executive educator).

The added value of implementing this dynamic and responsive system is the ability for an organisation to build in resilience for current and future achievement of results as it grows. Safety Integrated Management Using a systemic approach to safety management requires a new mind-set for understanding the complexity of organisational functions. Management requires a process architecture focused on design, control and development of purposeorientated social and commercial systems. It ties the particular aspects together and puts them into the overall context of the organisation’s business, i.e. a way of turning business policy into results (safety performance) by recognising that people are the root cause of success.

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

HEALTH & SAFETY: SAFETY INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT

An effective model2 to achieve this transition to safety integrated management is shown in Figure 3. A significant difference over the static Plan-Do-Check-Act model is the orientation between the organisation and individual, short and long-term aspects. This shows the requirements of OHSAS 18001 are limited to the process boxes shaded green (dominantly on the organisational side); the boxes shaded blue are where behavioural safety is influenced (short-term individual action); and the system completed and closed at the long-term individual level i.e. human resources management.

for a webpage. Innovation isn’t just for technological aspects; it’s also the way we should look at management processes to create profit from safety.

Application for small and medium enterprises

References:

Demonstrating conformity to OHSAS 18001 through the standard certification or verification route can put significant additional workload and a financial burden onto entrepreneurially managed enterprises, with limited benefit. Assessing management effectiveness using the Safety Integrated Management System quickly and efficiently highlights the hot-spots where action is needed. The added value of implementing this dynamic and responsive system is the ability for an organisation to build in resilience for current and future achievement of results as it grows. In that way, good safety performance becomes a by-product of business success. Charles Darwin is often misquoted for saying “survival of the fittest”, but the full quote states, “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”

2. The Safety Integrated Management

Maritime assets

Offshore wind & marine energy Utility finance

Civil design

Figure 1 Evolving industry model

1. www.hse.gov.uk/eet/about-eet.htm System is based on the Malik Integrated Management System® as described in ‘Management: The Essence of the Craft’,

doing things well

2010, Fredmund Malik,

Robin Stowell is a dual Chartered Marine Engineer and Safety Practitioner and is actively involved in the offshore renewable energy industry providing safety consultancy services at operational, corporate and strategic levels since 2008. Tel: 0845 805 9261; mob: +33(0)689 684 42; email: robin.stowell@conversulting.com Thorsten Guhr holds a Malik MZSG Master of Management® and is a proven senior manager with a strong holistic approach, striving for systemic managerial effectiveness and sustainable solutions. Tel: +49 40 76101083; mob: +49 176 46521981; email: thorsten.guhr@conversulting.com

www.conversulting.com

doing the right things

MANAGEMENT

doing things badly

Low risk

Inefficient (over budget)

High risk (expensive)

CHOICE

ISBN 978-3-593-39129-8

Disastrous (uninsurable losses)

doing the wrong things

Incompetent (ruinous)

Figure 2 Good and right management

Organisational level long term (> 1 year)

All participants in the supply chain from sub-contractors to major offshore developers and operators have legal, contractual and moral responsibilities to their employees, customers, landlords and interested parties. The smallest contribution to the whole adds to a safer, more efficient and cost-effective industry. Therefore it could be considered that any significant corporate risk is a risk to the sector. With resources under pressure it’s critical to direct the effort into useful and meaningful results, not chasing after third-party logos

With resources under pressure it’s critical to direct the effort into useful and meaningful results, not chasing after third-party logos for a webpage.

People level

Policy

Human resources management

Planning & objectives Organisation & processes Implementation

short term (< 1 year)

Conclusion

Oil & Gas procedures

Competence Operational control, audit & review

Safety performance

Figure 3 SIMS summary WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

Wind&WaveCONNECT

LAW: CORPORATE STRUCTURES

MANAGING HEALTH AND SAFETY WITHIN CORPORATE STRUCTURES

D Words: Ross Fairley Burges Salmon ross.fairley@ burges-salmon.com

espite being a relatively ‘new’ industry, the wind and marine renewables sectors are at the forefront of championing health and safety. Last month, RenewableUK published its Offshore Wind and Marine Energy Health and Safety Guidelines. This is a lengthy and detailed document – it runs to more than 250 pages and covers the whole offshore lifecycle.

Businesses, however, should beware of any assumption that from a health and safety perspective responsibility for the health and safety of a subsidiary’s (or JV’s) employees automatically rests solely with that subsidiary or JV company. Such an initiative is to be applauded and Burges Salmon is involved in drafting similar guidelines for RenewableUK in respect of small wind. However, they also come with a ‘health warning’. Guidelines such as these can never be a definitive statement of appropriate behaviours, or steps to take, when faced with a specific hazard. Good ‘health and safety’ involves more than risk statements and

Wind&WaveCONNECT

construction plans. Corporate structures need to be carefully thought through by developers, not only financially and commercially, but also from a health and safety perspective. Wind and marine energy projects will often be undertaken and developed by subsidiary companies or in joint ventures (JVs) and the legal structure applied will vary from project to project. Structuring project companies

appropriately can offer significant commercial, practical and financial benefits and limit liability. Businesses, however, should beware of any assumption that from a health and safety perspective responsibility for the health and safety of a subsidiary’s (or JV’s) employees automatically rests solely with that subsidiary or JV company. A Court of Appeal health and safety case last year1 highlighted this.

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

LAW: CORPORATE STRUCTURES

The case The claimant, Mr Chandler, had been exposed to asbestos fibres while working many years earlier for Cape Building Products Limited, a subsidiary of Cape Plc, and he subsequently developed asbestosis. Despite obtaining judgment against the subsidiary, Mr Chandler was unable to enforce the judgment as that company had long been dissolved and its insurance policy excluded asbestos claims. So Mr Chandler commenced proceedings against Cape Plc. Although the parent and subsidiary were clearly separate legal entities, the Court looked at whether the parent had, through its actions, taken on a direct ‘duty of care’ for the subsidiary’s employees. In this case: Cape Plc had known that the release of asbestos fibres had not been adequately controlled. There had been a group-wide medical officer responsible for all group employees. Cape Plc had been directly involved in some elements of the subsidiary’s operation and financial decisions. The parent and subsidiary companies shared some directors.

No automatic parent liability Chandler v Cape does not go so far as to make parent companies automatically liable for the failings of a subsidiary. What it does say is that a parent company is likely to have some responsibility for the health and safety of a subsidiary’s employees where: the business of the parent and subsidiary are in a relevant respect the same; the parent knew or ought to have known that the subsidiary’s working systems were unsafe; the parent has or ought to have superior health and safety knowledge in the particular industry and the subsidiary was likely to rely on that superior knowledge to protect its employees.

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

Implications for corporate manslaughter? Chandler v Cape may also have implications in more serious cases, where companies are prosecuted for corporate manslaughter. If the relevant duty of care is established in relation to a parent company, then the fine levied will be based on the parent’s turnover and profit. This will, in all likelihood, be significantly more than the equivalent figures for a subsidiary or JV company.

Practical steps It is crucial in the wind and marine energy industry that knowledge and experience are shared so as to establish safe and efficient ways of working and Chandler v Cape should not be interpreted so as to promote limited group involvement. It does however emphasise the importance of providing a combined approach to risk management. Sensible steps that can be taken to minimise the unintended risks of parents assuming the responsibilities of subsidiaries might be: ensuring clear lines of communication and responsibility, with group policies clearly distinguished from subsidiaries’ own operational decisions; giving each subsidiary as much knowledge and expertise as is available at parent company level, and the subsidiaries then given responsibility for the management and implementation of their own health and safety policies; if safety audits are undertaken, the parent company should ensure that any actions are followed through. The important point is not the mere fact of ownership that could make a parent liable for a subsidiary: it is fixed by its actions. RenewableUK has published an ambitious and comprehensive set of health and safety guidelines, but interpretation and implementation of the practical steps to ensure health and safety risks are kept as ‘low as reasonably practicable’ rests with all of those actually involved throughout the lifecycle of a wind or marine energy project, and the corporate structure used on a project should not alter this.

The important point is not the mere fact of ownership that could make a parent liable for a subsidiary: it is fixed by its actions. Image: © zentilia – Fotolia.com)

For further details on health and safety in the wind and marine energy sector, please feel free to contact Ross Fairley on 0117 902 6351 or email ross.fairley@burges-salmon.com, or contact his colleague Ann Metherall, Head of Burges Salmon’s Health and Safety Team, on 0117 902 6629 or email ann.metherall@burges-salmon.com.

Biography Ross Fairley is a partner and Head of Renewable Energy at Burges Salmon solicitors. The team advises on all types of renewable energy project including wind (onshore and offshore), wave and tidal, hydro, solar, biomass, geothermal and innovative waste to energy technologies. Ross advises clients on legal/ regulatory aspects of the energy sector including incentives, grid, fuel procurement and power sales. He has substantial experience in marine renewables and offshore wind, covering projects in all Crown Estate rounds.

www.burges-salmon.com References 1. Chandler v Cape Plc [2012] EWCA Civ 525

Wind&WaveCONNECT

TRAINING: SOUTH TYNESIDE COLLEGE

SOUTH TYNESIDE COLLEGE A ONE-STOP RENEWABLES TRAINING CENTRE Words: Bryony Stuart

Wind&WaveCONNECT

or more than 150 years, the South Shields Marine School on South Tyneside College’s Westoe campus – now the UK’s largest maritime training centre – has been training all ranks of maritime personnel, from cadets to officers, chief engineers to chief electro-technical officers, masters and pilots. Meanwhile, down the road at its riverside Marine Safety Training Centre

(MSTC), the College is significantly expanding its series of offshore training courses in close partnership with companies in the industry. Wind&WaveCONNECT met with Gary Hindmarch, Vice Principal Maritime and Higher Education, and Graham Johnson, Head of the MSTC, to hear how the College is investing, partnering and evolving to meet the needs of the growing wind industry.

Playing to its strengths As the big projects like Dogger Bank start to come online, South Tyneside College expects to see a huge surge in training demands, both in training individuals from scratch and in up-skilling individuals transferring from other sectors. Offshore safety training is one of the College’s strong suits – in particular transfer and working at heights – and

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

TRAINING: SOUTH TYNESIDE COLLEGE

Images: South Tyneside College and Wind&Wave CONNECT

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

investment over the years has seen the development of extensive and unique facilities at the MSTC, including Europe’s first offshore platform transfer simulator to recreate realistic working conditions. Already, over 100 organisations around the world and over 3,000 students each year are using the centre. “At the moment there’s such a wide range of what different companies want depending on their specific sector of work and their personnel’s skill set,” explains Graham. “Some want the basic OPITO offshore survival; some want the merchant navy sea survival; then there’s the RenewableUK and the GWO qualifications.” The MSTC aims to provide across-the-board courses that fulfil customers’ differing training needs. The College’s other strong suit is large power generation and the manufacturing, distribution and operation of electrical components. The safety programmes are supplemented by access to first-class high-voltage, simulation and laboratory resources to create up-skilling programmes that meet generic and specific employer needs. “We’re the only ones in this large geographical area who have the

Investment over the years has seen the development of extensive and unique facilities at the MSTC, including Europe’s first offshore platform transfer simulator to recreate realistic working conditions. resources and experience on the power side,” says Gary. “The maritime industry already has equipment that meets existing installation specifications, and we have been training in this area through generations of technology and delivering for a number of years on the size and the capability needed.”

Offshore training going Global? With projects springing up in waters all over Europe and the rest of the world, Siemens and other major wind energy companies are increasingly keen to have their offshore workers accredited to the Global Wind Organisation (GWO), and the MSTC has taken note of this move. “If you have a project going off over in Holland, you want to be able to move people out,” explains Graham.

The GWO offshore ‘Basic Safety Training’ certificate comprises five core modules: first aid, fire-fighting, manual handling, sea survival and Working at Height. The MSTC is one of the few GWO-accredited centres in the UK and is also seeing a growing number of non-UK technicians coming through its doors.

Perfect partners Most of the College’s offshore wind trainees come through North Shieldsbased Maersk Training, with whom they have been working for two years. Maersk, the UK’s first training centre to be GWO-accredited, provides a one-stop shop for marine, oil & gas and renewable energy training. Welsh safety training and equipment provider Safety Technology is the

Wind&WaveCONNECT

TRAINING: SOUTH TYNESIDE COLLEGE

most recent company to join forces with the College. By combining their experience and knowledge in Working at Height with the College’s marine expertise, they have plans to work with Narec to provide RenewableUK and GWO-approved training and build their client base in the North East.

The MSTC is one of the few GWO-accredited centres in the UK and is also seeing a growing number of non-UK technicians coming through its doors. “Safety Technology will lead on the first aid, fire-fighting and manual handling modules, while we lead on the sea survival,” explains Graham. Further investment with Safety Technology will very shortly see the opening of a 20 metre outdoor climbing tower at the MSTC, with RenewableUK and GWO approval expected to follow on soon after. The state-of-the-art tower will provide for all the requirements of the RenewableUK and GWO’s Work at Height courses, and delegates will be able to complete all their training on one site without having to travel between training centres.

Unique transfer simulation The capability to instruct workers in boat transfer in extreme conditions is crucial to many major companies. Proving very popular with industry is MSTC’s own Boat Transfer course, which although not accredited offers training in conditions above and beyond the ‘calm water’ test standards set by RenewableUK and the GWO. Using the Centre’s impressive environmental pool, offshore platform boat transfer simulator (a European first) and purpose-built ladder, trainees learn how to step from a boat onto a water-surrounded wind farm, while a variable wave pattern generator and other pieces of kit with wind, rain, light and sound effects recreate the battering conditions that can be expected miles out at sea. Additional facilities at the Centre include an eight-seat helicopter escape module with winching arrangements

Wind&WaveCONNECT

that can simulate dry, wet and capsize situations, and a purpose-built jetty that provides mooring to a host of vessels. Also in the pipeline are an interior climbing structure and, in the Fire Training Centre 150 metres down the road, a container for confined space fire-fighting training – as well as a large fire training building for training personnel to fight fires in offshore accommodation modules or hubs.

Perfectly poised In spite of losing out to Humber for the Siemens factory owing to site geography, the College’s maritime expertise led them to win the contract with Humber Pilot for modelling the berth for ship manoeuvring, and there are numerous North East coast projects in the pipeline where the College hopes to come into its own – Narec’s experimental turbines at Blyth, Teeside Offshore Wind Farm and Dogger Bank, to name but a few. “We’re slap-bang in the middle of an area with all this going on and a port (Port of Tyne) that is not as restrictive as some of the other ports vying for the work,” says Graham. With the bar for electricity generation at Dogger Bank set high, the College sees itself as unrivalled in the area for responding to the project’s demands, needing to make only minor adaptations to courses where necessary.

With the bar for electricity generation at Dogger Bank set high, the College sees itself as unrivalled in the area for responding to the project’s demands. “We envisage the big offshore wind farms using a couple of hubs with accommodation, a bit like an oil rig but without the oil,” says Graham. “Workers would fly out to the hub and they’d do a stint out there. There’d be boats with cranes that would be used to transfer them to the turbines.” The MSTC can offer OPITO HUET training as well as boat launch and recovery to meet these needs.

Ajai Ahluwalia – Senior O&M Engineer, Scottish Power Renewables Ajai Ahluwalia, Senior O&M Engineer at Scottish Power Renewables (SPR), recently undertook the GWO training at the MSTC. Having transferred to the wind sector from oil & gas in 2010, he has worked on offshore projects such as Lynn and Inner Dowsing (for Centrica) and is currently working on West of Duddon Sands for SPR. “Industry views have changed since I did my initial training at Centrica, with subtleties in the way that H&S within the offshore wind industry has matured,” says Ajai. “This training provides me with the ‘ticket’ to go and work on offshore wind turbines. It covers people ranging from wind turbine technicians and engineers to those working on other offshore elements such as substations, in both the installation and O&M phase.” Ajai can see why his employer opted for GWO training: “The big international organisations like Siemens Wind Power and DONG want a ticket that has global relevance.” For SPR personnel, being able to complete the training all in one go in closely co-located facilities is a distinct advantage. “Anything you can do to better prepare people for going offshore is great. The challenge now is applying the knowledge as and when it’s needed.”

The College’s marine engineering heritage also means they have the resources and know-how to train people in the move towards DC transmission, since large ships have been using this technology for years. Offshore wind fabrication too is not outside the realm of possibility, with the College’s expanding facilities for welding. “It’s more a progression of what we’ve already got,” says Gary. “It’s the techniques and achieving the classification of skills to be able to work with the thicknesses of the equipment being used.” With its marine pedigree, continued investment and partnership working, South Tyneside College is priming itself to be a one-stop centre for offshore wind training.

www.stc.ac.uk

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

ADVERTORIAL: SAFETY TECHNOLOGY

CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR RENEWABLE SAFETY IN THE NORTH EAST

eading safety training provider for the wind energy sector, Safety Technology, has recently announced the further expansion of their Centre of Excellence for Renewable Safety training in the North East.

Currently offering a host of safety training from this region, including RenewableUK and GWO approved courses Currently offering a host of safety training from this region, including RenewableUK and GWO approved courses, Safety

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

Technology has set in motion plans to further develop the current facilities at South Tynesideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Marine Safety Training Centre (MSTC) to enable them to offer a wider range of offshore and maritime safety courses for the renewable sector. Through working closely with the MSTC, Safety Technology will be able to provide the full suite of GWO Basic Safety Training modules, including First Aid, Fire Awareness, Working at Heights, Manual Handling and Sea Survival to the North East. The safety specialists, headquartered in South Wales, have a host of training locations throughout the UK including Raglan, Great Yarmouth, South Shields, Blyth and West Scotland.

www.safetytechnology.co.uk

Wind&WaveCONNECT

RECRUITMENT: THE UK’S SKILLS BASE

TAPPING INTO THE UK’S SKILLS BASE Words: Nick Gillison Senior Offshore Wind Recruitment Specialist at the Green Recruitment Company

Wind&WaveCONNECT

ith 40 per cent of the continent’s wind passing over Great Britain, we have the highest wind power potential in Europe. There is then no doubt that wind has the potential to power our green aspirations. However, if the country is to capitalise on the UK’s lavish wind resources, it is essential that the industry rises to the challenge of capitalising on the

potential job creation in such a rapidly expanding market. The demand for engineers with offshore installations experience and project managers to oversee construction is high at the moment. Also, with many more sites in the pipeline, development managers and marine environmental specialists are vital in getting sites through strict planning laws.

The industry is booming and there is high demand at all stages of the project life-cycle. Technologists are in demand too; composite specialists and subsea cable design specialists are needed for developing wind equipment. The main difficulty at the moment is in finding enough experienced staff for all the work available; the industry is growing quickly and inherently causing a skills gap in the sector.

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

RECRUITMENT: THE UK’S SKILLS BASE

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

‘Skills gap’, however, may be a misleading term. The UK has a wealth of skilled individuals from different industries whose expertise could be utilised to make the wind industry thrive. These transferable skills are numerous. The obvious industry with a similar expertise is the oil and gas sector; wind power’s more senior engineers have often come from that background. Less obvious is that vessel specialists could come from the fishing industry and blade designers could easily come from an aircraft design or automotive background. With recent redundancies coming in the forces, there are a number of highly skilled candidates coming out of the military who could easily fill a number of jobs. However, certain issues exist that inhibit the transfer of these skills to the wind industry. From our experience, it is usually smaller companies that have to take someone from the outside and get them trained up to ‘industry level’. Larger companies then tend to give preference to those candidates rather than those from an outside industry. The one difficulty is in finding staff with good offshore experience, and with the money available in oil and gas, encouraging people to come from there can sometimes be difficult.

It would seem then that the issue is not so much a lack of skills, but rather a lack of incentive for skilled individuals to transfer to the wind industry and a lack of willingness on behalf of the big players of the industry to take on outsiders. Fortunately the skills crisis is not going unnoticed. Industry leaders have recently acknowledged the issue and have called for appropriate action, including an emphasis on science and engineering through all levels of education. They have also called for more industry input into academic courses and evidence of such input is already present, such as in Siemens’ ‘education portal’. This is a very positive step to securing a future skilled workforce but does not address the present issue of the need for skilled workers. There has also been a call for more wind energy-related training courses which would help current engineers and operatives make a move into the wind industry. However, there are already lots of courses available for people looking to work within the wind industry; the problem is that awareness of these courses needs to be raised. People are simply not aware that their skills could easily be applicable or that these courses even exist; there is a need for advertisement to encourage people to get in and to bridge the skills gap.

Increasing salaries is the most effective means of resolving the skills gap but would undermine the commercial viability of wind power; increased emphasis on education is very sensible but it takes time to reap the benefits.

In addition to this, providing incentives in terms of funding to encourage companies to take new staff from outside the industry would encourage larger companies unwilling to subsidise training costs and spend time getting outsiders up to ‘industry level’.

Implementing an increased awareness of wind power training courses and incentivising training within companies is an immediate and feasible means of tapping into the UK’s skilled workforce. These ideas are no easy fix. Increasing salaries is the most effective means of resolving the skills gap but would undermine the commercial viability of wind power; increased emphasis on education is very sensible but it takes time to reap the benefits. On the other hand, implementing an increased awareness of wind power training courses and incentivising training within companies is an immediate and feasible means of tapping into the UK’s skilled workforce. However, such action would require more than industry input; it would require a sound long-term political commitment manifesting itself in government investment in the industry. There is no easy way of accessing it, but just like the potential power of the UK’s wind, a capable and skilled UK work force is waiting to have its full potential used within the wind power industry.

www.greenrecruitmentcompany.com

Wind&WaveCONNECT

FORTHCOMING FEATURES REGIONAL FOCUS: IRELAND Ireland and Northern Ireland are committed to increasing the level of renewable electricity on the power system to 40 per cent by 2020. Interconnectors join the Irish power system to the electricity grid in Britain, enabling renewable power to be exported. A look at the companies involved in developing wind and marine energy across the Irish Sea.

CABLES Inter-array and export cables are a vital component in offshore wind farms and will play their part in getting electricity from marine energy devices into the grid. What are the issues around supply and deployment of offshore cables?

IS THERE A FUTURE FOR TIDAL BARRAGES IN THE UK? On the other side of the English Channel, the 240MW La Rance system leads the world in generating electricity from a tidal barrage. In the UK schemes for the Severn Estuary and Morecambe Bay have come in and out of fashion. What are the prospects for any barrage schemes getting off the drawing board?

BIG TURBINES TAKE TO THE WATER The next generation of offshore wind turbines will be huge, with a capacity of at least 6MW. Which companies are developing them and what is the state of play with these big beasts?

FEATURES SUBJECT TO CHANGE

EDITORIAL DEADLINE 19.07.2013

ADVERTISING DEADLINE 31.07.2013

The world’s leading authority on safety and risk management. Recognised for providing independent technical assurance and safety assessments, we continue to make that vital contribution to help companies achieve safety, asset reliability and performance across their energy supply chains. Apply our renewable energy expertise – visit us at www.lr.org/renewables

Lloyd’s Register is a trading name of Lloyd’s Register Group Limited and its subsidiaries. For further details please see http://www.lr.org/entities © Lloyd’s Register Group Limited 2012

Wind&WaveCONNECT

WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK

SUBSCRIBE TODAY n Independent publication, featuring topical industry articles written by expert journalists – available in print and online format. n Exclusive discounts and rates on all advertising positions.* n Dedicated Account Manager.

Receive four issues direct from only £50.00

n Free annual wall planner. n Free delivery to your door.

Annual subscription (4 issues)

Annual Annual bold single single line line directory directory entry entry (up to 5 (1 category) categories)

Option 1 £50.00

Option 2 £150.00

Option 3 £650.00

Annual enhanced entry in a selected directory category; company profile and scrolling logo on website

* Discount to be approved by dedicated Account Manager within the appropriate subscription period. For full subscription terms & conditions please see www.windandwaveconnect.co.uk/subscribe

CALL US NOW

FAX

SUBSCRIBE ONLINE*

POST

+44 (0)1937 580401

+44 (0)1937 580488

www.windandwaveconnect.co.uk/ subscribe *Option 1 only

The CONNECT Series 2 Highcliffe Court, Greenfold Lane Wetherby LS22 6RG

*To discuss options

IF YOU LIKE

Please see form overleaf

Wind&WaveCONNECT