The Future of Offshore Wind: Collaboration and Innovation
The offshore wind industry is on the cusp of a revolution, with companies like American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and FibreMax leading the charge. The two companies have recently signed an agreement to collaborate on stiffness-driven mooring tendons for the floating offshore wind market. This partnership is a significant step forward for the industry, as it brings together ABS’s expertise in verification and FibreMax’s patented Parallel Wound Technology (PWT).
Mooring lines that support floating offshore wind
The collaboration will see ABS provide qualification of FibreMax’s fiber and small rope testing, while FibreMax will provide expertise on stiffness. This partnership is crucial for the development of floating offshore wind assets, as it will enable the creation of more efficient and effective mooring systems.
“ABS’s extensive experience in verification across the marine and offshore industries make us the ideal partner for this project. We are committed to safety excellence and to advancing safety standards across the offshore wind industry for new technologies,” said Robert Langford, ABS Vice President, Global Offshore Wind.
“We are excited to work together with ABS, given their impressive track record in floating offshore wind. Together with ABS, we will work to include operational parameters for stiffness-driven designs with the objective to jointly develop relevant parameters for these emerging designs and market,” added Sander van Helvoort, Director Renewable Energy at FibreMax.
ABS has a long history of innovation in the offshore wind industry, having certified the first U.S. offshore wind project in Orsted’s Block Island. The company has also certified the first semisubmersible floating offshore wind turbine, WindFloat I, and classed the world’s largest floating wind turbine at the time of installation with Windfloat Atlantic developed and operated by Ocean Winds.
Offshore wind turbines
The offshore wind industry is not the only one making waves, with companies like TGS, Shearwater, and XOCEAN also making significant strides. TGS has announced a new campaign for offshore wind and metocean measurement located in Morro Bay, off the U.S. coast. Shearwater and XOCEAN have entered a strategic collaboration to provide marine seismic acquisition services for the CCS and offshore wind markets.
Seismic vessel
The industry is also seeing significant advancements in technology, with companies like Nexans opening newly expanded subsea cable facilities in Norway. This expansion will enable the production of longer and more efficient subsea cables, which are crucial for the transmission of power from offshore wind farms to the grid.
Subsea cable
As the offshore wind industry continues to grow and evolve, it’s clear that collaboration and innovation will be key to its success. With companies like ABS, FibreMax, TGS, Shearwater, and XOCEAN leading the charge, the future of offshore wind looks bright.
