Fixed Bottom Offshore Wind Farms 90 Metres Deep? Offshoretronic Says Yes

Barcelona-based Offshoretronic S.L. and its new Asian partner have unveiled a new fixed bottom foundation design which is said to be fully scalable and future-proof for wind turbines of over 20 MW capacity installed in water depths of up to 90 metres.

The newly developed TRIPOD “PLUS ©” foundation is said to be adaptable to all different types of seabed soils and is said to have no size limitations and restrictions for fabrication and for onshore logistics.

The new foundation comes in two components: a tripod and a monopile insert which, according to Offshoretronic, are easy to install and transport in two separate parts.

The foundation can be fixed to the seabed with pre-piling, post-piling, suction buckets, or a new combination of a small-size suction bucket and post piles, which is said to allow fast installation and the use of larger wind turbines in deeper waters.

The monopile insert has a fixed bottom suction bucket to transfer and distribute loads of the larger wind turbines and requires one single lift during the installation with no additional installation of a transition piece needed, Offshoretronic said.

The foundations also feature connection rings with integrated fiber optic loadcells for real-time feedback monitoring of lateral forces.

The company said its Sustainable Installer Crane Vessel will be able to transport and install four 20 MW fixed bottom TRIPOD “PLUS ©” in one trip.

”With our new Asia partner we will be able to facilitate FAST and COST-efficient worldwide project executions and filling the predicted cap in the supply chain of XXL foundations by 2025. The new TRIPOD “PLUS ©” Foundation has various new innovations based on combinations of proven concepts eliminating any installation and or O&M risks,” said Project director Jeroen Berkhout.