Larger turbines, tighter weather windows and projects further offshore are increasing the consequences of decisions based on inaccurate sea state information. Yet Lars Ivar Leivestad, Commercial Manager Offshore Wind at Miros, argues that too many offshore operations still rely on forecasts, historical assumptions and measurements that were originally intended for planning rather than real-time decision making.
His case is straightforward: measure conditions locally from the beginning of a project and continue throughout the asset lifecycle.
Creating one version of offshore conditions
Developers, vessel operators, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and insurers can work from different datasets and assumptions. According to Leivestad, this fragmentation creates unnecessary uncertainty.
Continuous local measurement can instead provide a common reference for:
Radar-based, dry-mounted sensors can be installed on turbines, substations or vessels to measure wave height, period and direction in real time.
This approach positions measurement equipment directly at the offshore asset.
Making better use of weather windows
During construction, uncertainty around conditions can mean conservative weather windows and delays. Conversely, inadequate information about actual conditions can expose operations to higher loads than anticipated.
Leivestad argues that measured sea state information allows forecasts to be checked against conditions at the work location. Combined with short-term wave and vessel motion prediction, it can provide a clearer picture of upcoming operational windows.
Applications include assessing jack-up vessel leg loads and stability, managing cable lay tension and planning heavy lifts.
The objective, he stresses, is not to push operational limits but to reduce uncertainty around critical decisions.
Supporting access and maintenance
Once a wind farm enters operation, sea conditions directly influence whether technicians can reach turbines safely.
Real-time wave measurements combined with vessel motion prediction can help determine whether gangway transfers are suitable and improve the timing of maintenance activities. Miros argues that this can contribute to fewer aborted transfers, better planning and reduced downtime.
Wave height, wave period, wind and current information can be presented alongside vessel response data.
Continuous measurements can also connect environmental conditions with structural response, supporting fatigue tracking and long-term asset assessment.
Floating wind raises the importance of measurement
For floating wind, waves are not simply an operational constraint. They directly influence platform motion, mooring tension and cable behaviour.
Leivestad therefore argues that real-time wave measurement should become part of the structural monitoring framework. Continuous data can help operators compare actual loading with design assumptions and develop a clearer understanding of fatigue accumulation.
The same historical record can later support life-extension or repowering assessments by showing the environmental loads an asset has actually experienced rather than relying solely on conservative assumptions.
Better digital tools need better inputs
Offshore wind is investing heavily in digitalisation, automation and predictive analytics. Leivestad’s concern is that sophisticated models cannot compensate for poor input data.
His preferred approach is to establish reliable local measurement early, maintain it throughout construction, commissioning and operation, then use the resulting record during life extension and eventual decommissioning.
Standards including DNV-ST-N001, IEC 61400-3-1 and ISO 19901-9 also recognise the importance of representative or measured environmental information in reducing uncertainty.
For Leivestad, the question is therefore less about whether offshore wind can measure real-time conditions and more about whether the industry is prepared to make continuous measurement a routine part of decision making.
Read the complete insight from Miros on real-time wave measurement, vessel operations and offshore wind lifecycle decisions in PES Wind: https://pes.eu.com/exclusive-articles/are-we-still-running-offshore-wind-on-good-enough-data