C2 - Serial (volume) manufacturing of complex structural systems
C - Materials and Manufacturing
Challenges/Opportunities
The cost of ORE structures for deeper water sites and further offshore is expensive. Although fixed offshore wind has seen significant price reduction, floating offshore wind, tidal stream and wave energy remain too expensive to attract significant investment.
Solution
Structural Design needs to integrate with advanced and emerging volume manufacture technologies.
Context and Need
The UK cannot afford to import all its planned 30GW by 2030 structures and cannot compete with the established monopile industry; Jacket Structures and floaters are potentially new markets for UK fabricators; So far efforts have been in prototype developments for marine renewables and floating wind. Facilitates new technology qualification. Expansion of supply chain
Summary
For ORE structures to be economically viable, economies of scale need to be realised. The design of next generation structural systems needs to transition from one-off laboratory scale models to volume fabrication to support wind/marine deployments in deep waters.
Impact Potential
Increased safety due to less offshore maintenance; Reduction in OPEX and potential reduction in CAPEX and deployment in deeper waters.
Better safety through reliability-based standards along with optimised CAPEX and OPEX
Research Summary
There is some experience with Jackets but not at volume. A number of prototypes have achieved higher TRL levels, however the only floating array development comes from Equinor with practically no UK content
There is a good basis for this work through offshore Oil & Gas, but research work tends to be driven by individual developers working with certification authorities for project certification but not generic standards.