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#Industry News

SELF-INSTALLING SCOUR PROTECTION DEVELOPMENT

Seabed Scour Control Systems (SSCS) is the lead company in a £1 million project aimed at developing an innovative self-installing scour protection system that could save the average wind farm approximately £8.6 million over its lifetime writes Dag Pike.

This project which is being led by Great Yarmouth based SSCS is backed by Innovate UK and is a collaboration between six industry partners. The design of the prototype Frond Mat scour protection system, with an integrated deployment method, will be a joint effort between SSCS and SPT Offshore. SSCS will design the frond mats and SPT Offshore will design the deployment system.

The system will then be fabricated and fitted to a suction bucket foundation designed and manufactured by SPT Offshore and installed by N-Sea at Scottish Power Renewables’ East Anglia ONE offshore wind farm.

Scottish Power Renewables together with SSCS has already carried out laboratory scour tests at HR Wallingford. A suction bucket without scour protection will also be installed, providing a reference for the level of scour that will develop naturally at the site and ensuring that the reduced scour measured at the protected suction bucket can be properly attributed to the Frond Mats. In addition, comparisons will also be made to the foundation rock armour used at East Anglia ONE.

The Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult will analyse how this system compares in performance and cost with traditional scour protection systems, starting with the installation and through to infield performance and decommissioning, and DHI Water Environments will monitor the offshore deployment and system performance over 12 months, after which time the system will be removed.

Scottish Power Renewables will be responsible for site consenting, project management and providing access to the East Anglian ONE offshore wind farm site.

Adam Tucker, Subsea Division manager at SCSS, said: “By pre-installing the scour protection system onshore and deploying at the same time as the foundation installation, this innovation will provide a lower cost alternative to those currently available for the protection of offshore wind structures.”

ORE Catapult’s financial analyst Miriam Noonan added: “Installation costs typically account for over 75% of the overall cost associated with scour protection systems. By being able to deploy SSCS Frond Mats at the same time as the wind turbine foundation installation, the associated installation costs may be significantly reduced.”

Details

  • Howbery Business Park, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford OX10 8BA, UK
  • HR WALLINGFORD LTD