Abstract
This paper presents alternatives to the conventional offshore fixed wind construction and installation methods. Of particular interest are methods that avoid the need for the heavy lift vessels. The Jones Act in the USA precludes the efficient use of these vessels, and this curtails the rate at which offshore renewable energy can be constructed. The primary areas of focus are:
Platform designs that allow for in-port assembly of the structure.
Alternatives to the current wind turbines and the heavy lifts they require
Alternative offshore methods of assembling current systems.
The conventional installation method of stick building offshore wind turbines one at time using specialized, and costly, vessels has become limit on rapid low-cost deployment. This paper is intended make the audience aware that there are practical and more cost-effective alternatives that could challenge the established method.
Offshore fixed wind breaks the golden rule of offshore development: never do in port what you can do onshore, and never do offshore what you can do in port. If it costs $1 onshore, its $2 in port, and $10 offshore. For the industry to thrive this needs to change. The paper describes first how offshore fixed wind is installed, then proceeds to address the shortcomings of the current methods by drawing from a data base of more than 2000 companies and technologies to illustrate there are viable alternatives to the conventional construction methods.
Practical methods for in-port integration, robotic assembly, and alternatives to conventional turbines are presented. If applied these systems would resolve Jones Act issues limiting rapid development of US based offshore wind, reduce the cost and risk of offshore wind developments generally, and increase the value of current offshore wind leases.
