Video: First Use of Heavy-Lift Drones to Support Wind Farm Maintenance

Drone lifts up to 220 lbs to the top of the nacelle (Orsted)

Published Aug 7, 2024 6:51 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

For the first time, heavy-lift cargo drones are being used to speed maintenance operations at an offshore wind farm and reduce the safety risk to personnel and machinery. Ørsted, which had previously tested applications for drones, released a video showing a drone capable of lifting 70 kg (over 220 lbs) deployed at its Borssele 1 & 2 wind farm in the Dutch portion of the North Sea.

The drones that are being deployed are reported to be 70 kg units. Each has a wingspan of 2.6 meters (8.5 feet). They are larger and have more capacity than previous trials conducted by Ørsted. Last year, the company tested drones at the Hornsea 1 Offshore Wind Farm in the UK capable of lifting 150 lbs.

Borssele which is located about 14 miles off the coast of Zeeland near the Netherlands – Belgium border was fully commissioned in late 2020. At the time, the company said with its 94 turbines and 752 MW capacity, it was the largest in the Netherlands and the second-largest wind farm in operation.

Ørsted reports the current maintenance project called for updates to some critical evacuation and safety equipment in each of the turbines. The drone is lifting the critical equipment from an offshore supply vessel and in about four minutes carries it to the top of the nacelle. 

The company says that its tests show the drones mean less work disturbance as wind turbines do not have to be shut down when the cargo is delivered. They also minimize the need to constantly reposition the support vessel to reach each turbine.

 

 

In the traditional system, the vessel would have had to sail to each turbine and using a crane lift the box containing the equipment to the transition piece on the turbine’s foundation. The box would then have to be lifted with the nacelle’s crane and then be moved to the top of the turbine. Ørsted said the operation could take up to six hours but through the use of drones, it has been able to complete the tasks at Borssele 10 to 15 times faster.

The company highlights that it continues to explore new technologies to enhance its offshore wind efforts. It has piloted a new technology that further optimizes offshore wind monopile installation. It is also deploying autonomous vessels for offshore surveying.

Samsung Heavy Industries Enters Offshore Wind Sector with Equinor

SHI will build, assemble, and marshal the offshore wind turbines at its yard in Geoje, South Korea (SHI)

Published Aug 7, 2024 3:58 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

A long-term supplier to the offshore energy sector, Samsung Heavy Industries looks to leverage its expertise to expand into offshore wind farms. Through a series of agreements with Norway’s Equinor, the companies plan to work together if Equinor is successful in its bid to build a large floating offshore wind farm near Ulsan, South Korea.

The companies highlight they have worked together for more than 20 years on numerous oil and gas projects. This however would be SHI’s first foray into renewable energy and the offshore wind sector. 

Samsung Heavy Industries signed an exclusive agreement with Equinor to supply floating wind turbine substructures for the proposed Bandibuli Offshore Wind Farm. Equinor has the project under development and working with the authorities in Ulsan to obtain the necessary agreements. The company reported in July that it received approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment for the wind farm. The assessment launched in December 2021 after the Bandibuli project obtained an electric business license.

Equinor notes that achieving the milestone allows the Bandibuli project to participate in the fixed-price contract auction for wind power projects. One of the elements for the auction is local participation and they look to enhance this through the agreements with SHI. South Korea plans to select a developer for the wind farm this year.

“Together, we have achieved significant milestones in the oil and gas sector. Now we are excited to bring our combined expertise to develop robust and investible projects in the renewable energy sector. The Bandibuli project is testament to our shared commitment to advancing the energy transition in Korea,” said Anders Opedal, President & CEO of Equinor.

Equinor signed an MoU with Ulsan city in May 2019 for the development of a 750MW floating wind farm offshore Ulsan. The company secured rights for two areas approximately 40 miles off the coast of South Korea. The plan calls for 50 floating installations each with a 15 MW wind turbine. It has been called the world's largest offshore floating wind farm. 

Under today’s agreement, SHI would build the structures for the turbines. The company last month reported they were also planning marshaling services for the integration of the turbines onto floaters and would use SHI’s Shinhannae Yard located in Geoje. It would provide local value creation, which is a key requirement for the project as it moves forward into the power purchase agreement auction.

Turbine integration onto a floating substructure is a new industry in Korea, notes Samsung Heavy Industries. Through this cooperation on Bandibuli, the company says there will be technology transfer to Korea ensuring that it will be in prime position in this expanding global market segment.

New England States Defer Offshore Wind Auction Results to Review DOE Grant

Massachusetts seeks the largest portion of the new solisciation (Vineyard Wind file photo)

Published Aug 7, 2024 5:22 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

The results of the first multi-state offshore wind solicitation were scheduled to be released today, August 7, but the states involved in the coordinated effort have deferred the announcement. The three-way effort seeks to coordinate proposals for Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, but the selections are being delayed after the Department of Energy announced $389 million in federal funding to transform the regional transmission network.

The auction process launched in August 2023 for Massachusetts and was followed by solicitations from Rhode Island and Connecticut in October. Bidders for the first time were offered the option of submitting project proposals either for a single state or coordinated to multiple states. Massachusetts and Rhode Island were scheduled to announce their selections while Connecticut had told Reuters yesterday it might need some more time.

Massachusetts is seeking the largest portion of the solicitation. They called for up to 3.6 GW of new capacity. Rhode Island is seeking 1.2 GW and Connecticut 2 GW for a combined three-state total of up to 8.5 GW by 2030.

The Department of Energy Resources for Massachusetts and Rhode Island Energy confirmed that they would be deferring the announcement for approximately 30 days. Connecticut is also deferring without reporting a new timeline for its portion of the solicitation.

“The additional time is needed to consider any impacts to this solicitation from the recently announced federal grant to New England states through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Innovation Program (GIP) program for projects to invest in regional electric infrastructure,” Massachusetts writes in the formal notice. 

DOE announced yesterday, August 6, that it has selected a proposal called Power Up New England and will be providing federal funds for the project. The project calls for significant investments in the regional electric infrastructure including proactive upgrades to points of interconnection in Southeast Massachusetts and Southeast Connecticut. The goal is to ready the onshore transmission system for up to 4.8 GW of additional offshore wind power.

“Power Up is a big win for electric customers and continues the momentum of federal partnership and regional collaboration here in New England,” said Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “These funds will resolve one of the significant challenges of standing up the offshore wind industry here in Massachusetts.”

Indications are that the three states received strong indications from a range of projects, but they will all need to be reviewed based on the federal funding for the transmission project. Reports are Avangrid, Ørsted, SouthCoast Wind Energy, and Vineyard Offshore all participated in the multi-state solicitation. All the companies are believed to have submitted multiple plans, except Ørsted which is believed to have not participated in the Massachusetts portion.

Massachusetts and Rhode Island have each set September 6 as the new target date for announcing selections and they are targeting November 8 for the execution of contracts. By mid-December, they expect to have final plans submitted to each state’s regulators.

The Power Up New England project also includes an innovative, multi-day battery energy storage system to be deployed in northeast Maine. It will be capable of providing up to 100 hours of electricity.

The awards are part of DOE’s $10.5 billion Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnership. New England is receiving its grants in the second round of the program that seeks to fund projects that will improve grid reliability and resilience. It focuses on the use of advanced technologies and partnerships and approaches. Georgia received a $250 million grant in October 2023 that included a focus on the grid to supply rural parts of the state. GRIP offers individual awards of up to $250 million or $1 billion for larger, more consequential projects.