DNV GL’s project FORCE (For Reduced Cost of Energy) has identified potential savings of at least 10% of the cost of offshore wind energy, if an integrated approach to four market-ready technologies is adopted.
Project FORCE was set up to explore how the idea of “integrated design” could reduce offshore wind costs when applied to the wind turbine and its supporting structure for a typical project. 25 DNV GL expert engineers from disciplines including cost modelling, offshore load calculations, blade design, controller design and structural design were brought together to work on the problem. This multi-disciplinary project has revealed the magnitude of the potential savings that a ‘joined-up’ approach to the design of large offshore wind turbines and their support structures could achieve. Through the combination of four technologies (integrated design, relaxation of frequency constraints, enhanced control systems and slender, faster blades) aggregate cost savings of over € 1 billion in net present value (NPV) terms could be achieved over the next decade. However, these benefits can only be unlocked if the industry’s approach to engineering, design and procurement changes. DNV GL advocates a shift towards collaborative practices in order to address the misalignment of design-risk and cost-saving reward which is currently blocking the cost-cutting power of near-market innovation.
