RWE has funded a study to investigate the quayside offload and launch of two types of floating offshore wind platforms—one steel and one concrete—alongside the integration of next-generation wind turbine generators onto these platforms. Their aim is to maximise local supply chain opportunities by utilising local port infrastructure such as that at Port Talbot and Milford Haven (two of Wales’ deepest ports).
The study will consider the use of this solution at the Port Talbot facility in South Wales, run by Associated British Ports. This is being upgraded to facilitate the manufacturing, assembly, and integration of floating offshore wind turbines. The study outcomes will build on previous studies, including one undertaken using the Port of Milford Haven Marine Simulator. The resulting information will inform activities at other suitable ports in the region, such as the Port of Pembroke, owned and managed by the Port of Milford Haven Authority.
The study will investigate using Sarens’ crane and barge technology alongside Tugdock’s submersible platform, utilising a hybrid of both approaches. These technical solutions will look to address the logistical challenges ports will face in order to accommodate commercial-scale floating offshore wind deployment. A variety of land and marine equipment will be considered to manoeuvre structures into the water, offering new solutions to the growing floating offshore wind industry.
