Floating offshore wind in focus at DNV and LR 

LR says its new recommended practice for support structures for floating offshore wind turbines was developed in alignment with established international codes and standards, including IEC 61400-3-2 and the ISO 19000 series. LR’s recommended practice facilitates the development of floating offshore wind turbines and provides guidance across the entirety of a project lifecycle, encompassing aspects such as site condition assessment, design, manufacturing, transport, installation, commissioning and operation of floating wind turbines.

Assets covered within the scope of the recommended practice include integrated floating wind turbines – that is, the floating substructure, tower with associated rotor-nacelle assembly and loads – and stationkeeping systems including mooring lines and anchors. The dynamic portion of cables is also considered, given the relationship with floating turbine motions.

To achieve the required objectives, the recommended practice adopts a goal-based approach, defining what goals are to be achieved and how they should be achieved. LR says a goal-based approach is appropriate given that floating wind is undergoing rapid development and has a wide variation of approaches and the need for innovation, which a rules-based approach is less able to support.

The recommended practice provides a route to classification through the LR Guidance Notes for Offshore Wind Farm Project Certification and the Rules and Regulations for the Classification of Offshore Units. Key aspects addressed relate to the safety, integrity, insurability and bankability of the development in the context of floating wind support structure design. Underpinning insurability and bankability is the need to satisfy the requirements of IEC 61400-3-2 and other IEC standards.

All project stages are considered in the recommended practice, including site condition assessment, design basis, concept selection and concept design, FEED design, detailed design, and subsequent stages including manufacturing, transport and installation, commissioning and inservice management. Emphasis is given to a design process that considers the needs of all stakeholders; interfaces between different assets/components and engineering disciplines; considers the entire life of the assets; and ensures appropriate engineering is performed for each stage of the project and at the required level, to enable decision-making stage gates to be defined to measure project progress.

LR offshore wind engineering manager Neil Morgan says, “We have actively supported the development of floating wind energy since its inception. Today, we are engaged in numerous projects within the sector, spanning from approval in principle to prototype designs slated for installation.”  

LR global offshore business director Sean Van der Post says, “With the launch of our offshore floating wind recommended practice, LR can further support ongoing initiatives and future clients in their pursuit of sustainable offshore wind energy solutions, empowering stakeholders with the necessary knowledge and insights to navigate the complexities of the offshore wind sector.”  

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