New method said to cut offshore wind installation time by 89 per cent

A new method to install offshore wind turbines is said to cut installation time by 89 per cent, minimise noise pollution and vibrations, and significantly lower the installation costs.

Namely, Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO) has introduced a new method that enables the installation of an entire wind turbine in 10 days by using suction bucket foundation technology and a vessel called a multipurpose mobile base (MMB) – custom-built for this purpose.

The South Korean company has already built its MMB vessel and held a launching ceremony at the Port of Gunsan on 7 July, when the vessel was unveiled with an entire wind turbine already loaded onto it.

KEPCO’s method, for which the company says reduces wind turbine installation time from 90 to 10 days, involves assembling entire wind turbines at a port, including their suction bucket foundations, and then transporting them on board an MMB vessel to their designated offshore locations.

The company’s MMB vessel is optimised for transport and installation, and features systems for hull motion monitoring and transport rollover prevention. The vessel can lift and transport wind turbine structures of 140 metres in height and weighing up to 1,500 tonnes.

Once at their offshore destinations, wind turbines are installed using the suction foundation installation technology.

As the foundation is placed on the seabed, the water that gets inside the large pile(s) of a foundation structure is then discharged using a suction pump to create a pressure differential that forces the platform down into the seabed.

The company says using this method minimises noise pollution, vibrations, and floating debris, and also significantly lowers the installation costs. According to KEPCO, the installation cost per 5 MW turbine, which with the existing installation approach costs around KRW 8.6 billion (around EUR 63,500), is estimated to be reduced by some KRW 3.7 billion (around EUR 27,300).