In order to support faster progress in the offshore floating wind industry, DNV and key players are developing a common design standard. The conclusions from this joint industry project will provide best practices on principles and technical requirements and guidance for design, construction and in-service inspection work.
Although the offshore floating wind industry is still in its infancy, there is a significant potential in the vast deep-water areas around the world. The bottom-fixed offshore wind industry is already booming but the deep waters around Japan, China, Southern Europe and the USA remains huge untapped resources for offshore floating wind energy.
“However, floating wind turbines introduce new risks and technological challenges related to stability, station keeping, power transmission and structural strength. In addition, economic aspects are likely to be challenging in the early phases. One barrier to the growth and development of this industry has been the lack of a design standard,” explains Johan Sandberg, the business development leader for wind at DNV.
“Having developed standards for the maritime and energy industries for decades, DNV has experienced that cooperation to create unified rules results in faster industrial progress. The development work is carried out in a joint industry project (JIP) where best practices are shared among the various players in the value chain. The result is a common framework which supports the fast-moving development of specific technology and business, and which is especially valuable to emerging industries,” he states.
Due to the expected growth in offshore floating wind turbines, there is a need for a fully fledged design standard. Based on this and requests from the industry, DNV has therefore initiated a JIP with the aim of developing one common global standard covering all aspects of the design process, including:
o safety philosophy
o loads and load effects
o materials
o capacity
o characteristic values
o code formats
o structural design
o floating stability
o mooring
A lot will be learned from the traditional offshore industry. “The experience of the JIP partners, ranging from designers and developers to operators and turbine manufacturers, is very important. DNV is contributing research, experience and risk-based methodologies from three of its core industries; Wind Energy, Maritime and Offshore Oil and Gas. In addition, DNV’s existing offshore wind turbine standard for fixed installations and a recently developed DNV guideline on offshore floating structures will be used as a basis. It is still possible for other companies to join the project,” says Sandberg.
“To conclude, this cooperation and development work will address one of the most important challenges facing this industry – delivering safe and reliable energy production at a competitive cost,” he says.
Contact info
Johan Sandberg
Business Development Leader
E-mail: Johan.Sandberg@dnv.com
Phone: +47 918 77 047
Svein Inge Leirgulen
Communications Manager
Phone: +47 977 23 133
E-mail: svile@dnv.com
DNV’s role in the wind industry and establishing standards
DNV is a global provider of risk management services, helping customers to safely and responsibly improve their business performance. DNV is an independent foundation with the purpose of safeguarding life, property and the environment. Through its network of 300 offices in 100 countries, the company serves a range of industries, with a special focus on the maritime and energy sectors, combining its technology expertise with its industry knowledge.
Due to its in-depth knowledge and role as an independent partner, DNV facilitates a great number of joint industry projects each year, many of them aimed specifically at developing standards. DNV’s role for 143 years has been to assist in solving the challenges faced by business and society. Developing new tools, methodologies, standards and recommended practices together with industry and authorities is exactly about solving these challenges.
DNV has been a leader in the wind industry for the past 25 years, supporting the industry with a broad range of services – from initial site selection and wind resource assessment to power performance testing and financial due diligence for investors. We have deep roots in the major markets in North America and Europe, as well as established offices in most of the emerging markets throughout the world. As the industry moves offshore, DNV is combining its wind industry experience with its extensive knowledge of offshore energy and strong maritime history.
