Solution to potential wind monopile maintenance timebomb
A leading offshore wind company claims it has a solution to a common monopile failure area.
Over recent years, one of the biggest challenges to the offshore wind industry has been the failure in the grouted connection between the monopile and transition piece on wind turbine foundations.
In 2010 this was recognised as a design fault and subsequent changes were required resulting in a conical monopile to transition piece design solution.
The remedial solution determined the transition piece would have to be supported by elastomeric bearings. This involved the designing of new support side plates welded onto the inside of transition pieces that would enable the elastomeric bearings to transfer the load – from the transition piece and grouted connection – onto the monopile.
With this came another challenge to the industry; the requirement to implement this remedial solution within the confined working space of the lower internal turbine section.
In response to this challenge, leaders in the offshore wind industry, ENGIE Fabricom has developed a full turnkey solution which it claims has already proved successful on 200 monopiles.
The turnkey solution on offer covers all aspects including but not limited to project management and complete arrangement of the foundation and confined space including rescue equipment, painting and inspection to NORSOK M501 international standards, vessel charter, refuelling and associated onshore support.
By Jake Frith
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