New crew transfer solutions emerge as social distancing affects offshore wind O&M

A reduced number of technicians currently being transferred to offshore wind farms has led the crew transfer industry, as well as some developers, to start coming up with solutions to mitigate the effects of social distancing measures on energy production.

Operations and maintenance (O&M) works have been cut down to those essential for keeping the turbines spinning, with only four to six technicians transferred to a site at some offshore wind farms in the UK. More often than not, this involves repairs only, along with putting planned inspections and maintenance aside for the time being.

“Due to the need to achieve social distancing of 2m to prevent potential transmission of the virus, some CTVs are typically carrying a maximum of 4 passengers, and in specific cases, only 2 technicians at present. This reduced transit capacity has an impact on the number of technicians that can be safely deployed from shore to the wind farm, and therefore limits the inspection, maintenance and repair tasks that can be undertaken”, according to a document from the Workboat Association, Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN), G+ and ORE Catapult.

According to SSE’s recent update on O&M at the Beatrice offshore wind farm – operational since the summer of 2019 – one crew transfer vessel (CTV) with a crew of six leaves daily to the offshore wind farm. Normally, during servicing window of spring and summer, this would be up to four CTVs a day, each carrying up to twelve technicians.

Martin Sutherland, Beatrice Operations Manager, said in April that the wind farm’s O&M base in Wick normally has around 50 people working out of it. Last month, two members of staff at a time were working at the control room, while the technicians were meeting at the base site, waiting to transfer onto the turbines by forming a queue with a two-metre distance from each other.

In the CTV realm, UK company Manor Renewable Energy (MRE) introduced a COVID-19 compliant vessel on 26 May. The Manor Endurance, currently under construction and due to be delivered in July, was initially meant to carry 24 people, but has now been redesigned for an O&M crew of twelve.

The vessel will allow for two-metre physical distancing with a seating layout for twelve technicians split between the port and starboard side: seven seats in one half and five in the other. Furthermore, each section of the vessel is accessed from a separate dedicated entrance and has separate mess rooms, toilets, and shower units, MRE said.

Mid-April, a challenge looking for fast solutions for physical separation on board existing CTVs in the UK was launched by the Workboat Association, KTN, G+ and ORE Catapult.

So far, some CTV operator have experimented with short-term interim solutions, such as perspex barriers and re-purposed fabric curtains, which have shown to each have their problems and are not well suited for CTVs.

As the industry anticipates the COVID-19 restrictions currently in place to move into the medium and long-term, the innovation challenge in the UK is now seeking a more robust and semi-permanent solution for the saloon area aboard CTVs, where technicians are typically housed.

Aside from CTV solutions, the industry is adjusting its O&M approach in helicopter transfer, too, in order to implement measures to fight the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate potential negative effects on O&M.

Last month, German operator EWE Offshore Service & Solutions hired an additional helicopter under an emergency procurement process.

The twelve-passenger helicopter, provided by Heli Service International, is being used to accommodate isolation procedures at EWE’s offshore wind farms is Germany.