An improved installation technique for offshore wind: Replacing grouted foundation connections with a mechanical alternative

Cedeco Contractors Ltd正在进行一项改进海上风能安装技术的可行性研究。该公司提议用一种机械替代方法取代灌浆，作为将海上涡轮机的导管架基础固定到海床上的一种方法；如果成功，这将代表着基础安装技术的一步改变。在过去的40年里，灌浆一直是保护海上基础的首选方法；这是一项在海上石油和天然气领域得到验证的技术。然而，它在海上风能的应用带来了新的挑战，特别是在时间和成本方面。2018年夏天，一家领先的风能开发商与海上可再生能源弹射器(OREC)合作，发起了一项创新挑战，寻找降低灌浆过程成本的方法。Cedeco提出的方法赢得了这一挑战。但在开发用于测试的全尺寸原型之前，该公司正在通过进行初步可行性研究和市场需求来继续开发其价值主张。与风能开发商一起，全球工程公司和研究合作伙伴(OREC)Cedeco将开发、建模和测试其技术。它的目标是在进入原型开发和测试之前，获得行业标准机构(例如DNV GL)的预认证水平。与此同时，该公司正计划在更广泛的海上风能开发商社区内进行市场研究；在这些最终用户中测试其价值主张，以确保其完全满足他们的需求，甚至确保有更广泛的最终用户需求得到满足。制造、测试和认证这项创新技术的原型将需要持续2-3年的大量投资(GB 1-2 M)。这项可行性研究的目的是为该技术的成功前景提供证据，并支持未来关于开发和测试原型的后续更大项目的投资决策。

Cedeco Contractors Ltd are conducting a feasibility study for an improved installation technique for offshore wind. The company is proposing to replace grout with a mechanical alternative as a means of securing the jacket foundation of an offshore turbine to the seabed; if successful, this will represent a step change in foundation installation techniques.Over the past forty years grout has been the go-to method for securing offshore foundations; it's a proven technique within offshore oil and gas. However its application in offshore wind is presenting new challenges particularly in relation to the time taken and costs involved.In summer of 2018 a leading wind developer in partnership with the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult (OREC) launched an innovation challenge looking for ways to reduce the cost of the grouting process. Cedeco's proposed approach won that challenge.But before developing a full scale prototype for testing, the company is continuing to develop its value proposition by conducting an initial feasibility study and examining market need.Together with the wind developer, a global engineering firm and research partner (OREC) Cedeco is going to develop, model and test its technology. It's aiming to achieve a level of pre-certification from the industry standards bodies (for example, DNV GL) before progressing to prototype development and testing. At the same time the company is planning to conduct market research within the wider community of offshore wind developers; testing its value proposition with these end users to ensure it fully meets their needs, and indeed, to ensure there is a wider end user need that needs satisfying.Fabricating, testing and certifying a prototype of this innovative technology will require a significant level of investment (£1-2m) over a sustained period of 2-3 years. The aim of this feasibility study is to provide evidence of the technology's prospects for success and to support future investment decisions regarding a subsequent and larger project of developing and testing a prototype.