JIP pursues alternative approach to offshore wind site studies

DNV has initiated the GIFT joint industry project (JIP) to develop best practices on ground investigations for collection of soil profiles for offshore wind turbine installations, according to a Feb. 19 company news release.

GIFT, supported by more than 15 industry partners, will also collaborate with the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Texas A&M, regulatory authorities such as The Crown Estate, BOEM and HEREMA, and others. 

As the industry moves toward development of large-scale floating offshore wind farms, “there is a need to optimize site soil characterization within project timelines to facilitate reliable designs, standardization and installation of station-keeping systems," said JIP project sponsor Alejandro Borobia. “For this, clear guidelines, recommended practices and minimum requirements are key to providing confidence for decision-makers and investors.”

The new practice will seek to move the industry away from anchor/foundation (position-specific) in-situ testing and toward a pragmatic approach for geophysical and geotechnical site investigation and ground modeling. This should enable reliable anchor design while de-risking installation.

“The potential of correlating geotechnical and geophysical data is often overlooked,” said Amy Beeston, JIP technical lead at DNV.

GIFT’s site investigations approach may also be applicable to fixed-bottom foundations or seabed cable developments. One of the main goals is to create a framework under which site investigations can be de-coupled from the final wind farm layout.

 “The JIP aims at establishing a procedure for site conditions assessment that enables developers to tailor ground investigation to their project’s needs and schedule,” added Yiorgos Perikleous, JIP project manager and technical lead at DNV.

The initiative should take up to two years to complete. It remains open to other interested parties (i.e., operators, designers, contractors and regulators).