Ensuring efficiency and reliability in offshore wind

In the dynamic industry of renewable energy, offshore wind power stands as a testament to sustainable innovation and economic revitalisation. Joseph Strachan, commercial director at Bilfinger UK, delves into the transformative impact of offshore wind on the UK’s energy landscape, highlighting Bilfinger UK’s pivotal role as a Tier 1 solution provider for Operations and Maintenance Services. 

He explores the sector’s achievements, including generating over 13 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy and supporting the government’s ambitious carbon neutrality goals while exploring emerging challenges such as global competition for skilled labour, vessel shortages, and the need for standardisation amid increasing turbine complexity. Yet, he emphasises the opportunities these challenges present—through enhanced training, local content utilisation, and strategic collaborations, Bilfinger UK is driving efficiency and reliability in offshore wind projects. 

In the rapidly evolving landscape of renewable energy, offshore wind has emerged as a shining beacon of sustainable power generation. For the United Kingdom, this sector has not only contributed to a cleaner environment but has also revitalised communities and economies in regions like Tyneside, Teesside, Humberside, Buchan, Angus, and Norfolk. At the forefront of this transformation stands Bilfinger UK; a fully integrated Tier 1 solution for Operations and Maintenance Services within the offshore wind sector, committed to supporting the government’s vision of carbon neutrality by 2050.

Offshore wind in the UK is no longer a nascent industry; it’s a success story. With over 40 operational offshore wind farms consisting of more than 2,500 wind turbine generators (WTGs), the UK now generates over 13 GW of clean energy, representing over 25% of the government’s 2030 target of 50 GW. Moreover, there are more than 40 offshore wind projects in various stages of planning, development, and construction, set to provide an additional 38 GW of capacity.

While most of these projects involve fixed-bottom WTGs, a significant change is on the horizon with the emergence of the 27+ GW INTOG and ScotWind programs. This development necessitates doubling the offshore wind capacity to approximately 20 GW within the next five years, a formidable challenge. To put this into perspective, Germany, a global offshore wind leader, has installed approximately 8 GW across 1,500 WTGs.

Challenges on the horizon

© Supplied by Bilfinger UK

As the industry expands, several challenges are coming into focus:

Global Expansion: The offshore wind sector is no longer confined to the UK and Northern Europe. The talent and expertise developed over the past two decades have become exportable to projects around the world. However, this global expansion has created competition for skilled labour resources, not only from within the renewables sector but also from the oil and gas sector, and other ‘green’ industries.

Lack of Suitable Vessels: There’s a growing concern of a significant installation vessel gap worldwide, making it challenging to achieve ambitious short-term offshore wind targets, especially with the growing turbine capacity, which is nearing 20 MW. Additionally, the oil and gas sector is also vying for these vessels to support decommissioning works.

Lack of Standardisation: The complexity of turbines has increased due to the desire for larger, more powerful machines, leading to a lack of standardisation. This complexity requires technicians to undergo training across multiple WTG platforms, straining resources and supply chains.

What opportunities lie ahead?

While these challenges are formidable, they also present opportunities for efficiency and reliability:

Training/Skills Transfer: Standardising training between offshore wind and oil and gas sectors can help alleviate the resource strain. Recognising this, regulatory industry boards are exploring ways to harmonise training requirements. Certain technical expertise differences exist, but many scopes of work, such as protective coatings, rigging maintenance, bolting and NDT inspection, overlap.

Standardisation: Standardising components within a WTG can reduce complexity and offer economies of scale for the supply chain. Collaboration among original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to create standardised parts can streamline the industry.

Local Content: Long-term partnerships with clients enable suppliers to employ local resources and collaborate with regional third-party suppliers. This not only ensures project consistency and cost efficiency but also aligns with the growing demand for local content in offshore wind projects.

Collaboration/Partnerships/Long-Term Contracts/Tier 1 Solutions: Establishing long-term collaboration agreements and partnerships with OEMs can ensure access to trained and abundant resources. Additionally, a Tier 1 contractor can simplify project planning, reduce resource bottlenecks, and improve maintenance efficiency while providing a single point of contact/accountability to clients.

Bilfinger UK’s unwavering commitment to the offshore wind sector is evident in its proactive approach to addressing challenges and leveraging opportunities for efficiency and reliability. As the offshore wind industry continues to expand and evolve, Bilfinger UK stands as a trusted Tier 1 partner, ready to power the future with sustainable and dependable offshore wind solutions.

The offshore wind sector may face challenges, but with the right strategies and partnerships, Bilfinger UK is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping a greener, cleaner, and more sustainable future for the UK and beyond.

Find out more at the Bilfinger UK website.