Solution to Design Challenges and Selections of Wind Turbine Installation Vessels

Abstract

Wind energy is one of the key renewable energy sources that will make a significant contribution towards the goals of clean energy around the world. The offshore wind energy industry is in a period of rapid growth, which results in a massive demand on the current supply chain. The large scale development demands specific installation and maintenance vessels. Various wind turbine installation vessels are being designed or constructed with a combination of new and existing technologies. There are specific challenges and design considerations related to this kind of vessels. Understanding the critical design parameters and considerations for various design concepts of WTI units are important for proper selection of design and technical standards in order to ensure a safe and robust design. The industry needs new design standards developed with synergy from well established offshore/maritime practices to provide guidance for this new vessel type to meet the high energy demand and to ensure high safety standards in the offshore wind energy sector. The paper first presents examples of various types of Wind Turbine Installation vessels that currently are being developed and then describe how DNV rules and standards address the specific challenges and critical elements for these various types of WTI units to ensure a safe and robust design. The paper then goes on to describes some of the key parameters and methodologies by which selection of these various design concepts can be carried out for a particular project/application.