Seatower: GBS to Become Market Standard Solution

Seatower has welcomed the Carbon Trust’s recent report on the potential of gravity based foundations for offshore wind.

Petter Karal, Seatower CEO, commented on the report saying: “We are satisfied that the Carbon Trust highlights the benefits provided by concrete gravity offshore foundations. With the bigger turbines that are coming, we expect this to become the market standard solution.”

The report highlights a number of preferred characteristics for gravity base structure (GBS) foundations compared to conventional steel foundations. The main conclusion is that GBS has the potential to become a cost effective alternative foundation in offshore wind. The statement is backed by pointing out that new installation methods are cost-saving and that GBS are less affected by external load forces due to the more rigid nature of concrete over steel, Seatower added.

Marc Costa-Ros, Senior Manager of Offshore Wind at the Carbon Trust said: “Gravity base structures offer the offshore wind sector a cost effective foundation solution for wind farms in deeper waters.”

Today, GBSs account for approx. 15% of all wind turbine substructures in the offshore wind sector, primarily at shallow water sites, Seatower highlighted.

In early 2015, Seatower deployed its GBS at the Fécamp site, owned by EDF EN, DONG Energy and wpd.