Presentations

Abstract

This presentation focus on ageing issues of offshore wind farm foundation structures. More specifically how risk based inspection (RBI) techniques can be used as a lifetime extension and repowering strategy of offshore wind farm support structures. Risk-based inspection (RBI) for offshore structures is a systematic approach to asset integrity management that prioritizes inspection efforts on high-risk components and systems by evaluating the probability of failure (PoF) and the consequence of failure (CoF). In terms of LTE and repowering the main benefit is that whilst the design documentation states the structures is at the end of life and should be decommissioned, the RBI can document the structures reserve strength based on its actual condition. Whilst RBI is a well known tool, for asset integrity management of offshore oil & gas structures, it has not yet been fully adopted for offshore wind turbine foundations. 7Waves have conducted an inhouse screening study of the potential, and how “oil & gas” RBI-techniques can be adapted for the application in LTE and repowering of offshore wind farms. Thus this presentation show: 1. How our RBI system is currently working on offshore structures. 2. How it can be adapted to benefit LTE and repowering projects in the offshore wind industry. 3. The potential in RBI for offshore wind farms that approach the end of their design life. The study concludes that whilst there are significant differences between O&G and OWT LTE projects, the potential benefits are significant.