In a World’s First, Spider-like Robot Deployed on Offshore Wind Turbine

Global | 2020-11-05

In a World’s First, Spider-like Robot Deployed on Offshore Wind Turbine

In what has been described as a “world’s first” a spider-like robot recently achieved its first blade walk an offshore wind turbine in the UK, opening door to significant offshore inspection cost cuts.

Developed by BladeBUG, with support of the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, the six-legged inspect-and-repair robot last month repeatedly scaled blades at ORE Catapult’s 7MW Levenmouth Demonstration turbine off the coast of Fife.

According to developers, BladeBUG represents a 30 percent cost reduction on current blade inspection techniques, which are conducted by rope-access technicians, with a measurable knock-on effect to the levelised cost of energy.

For next-generation turbines, ORE Catapult predicts the cost savings could reach as much as 50 percent. These costs have traditionally been one of the primary areas of concern for offshore operators, as sea conditions and faster tip speeds can lead to significant blade damage over time, ORE Catapult said.

The robot is being developed under a £1 million collaboration project between BladeBUG and ORE Catapult, part funded by Innovate UK. By the project’s end next year, BladeBUG will be capable of inspecting blade surfaces for emergent cracks and imperfections, transmitting data on their condition back to shore and resurfacing the blades.

BladeBUG had previously demonstrated its abilities on blade sections and the vertical training tower at ORE Catapult’s National Renewable Energy Centre in Blyth. The blade walk at an operational offshore wind turbine has now proven that the robot can conduct lengthy deployments in real-world conditions.

During the demonstration, the robot walked 50 meters on a vertically positioned blade on the Levenmouth turbine (a length of 84 meters with the tip reaching 195 meters above the sea when upright).

The crucial capabilities demonstrated during the trial, as shared by ORE Catapult, were:

  • Perfect adherence of its vacuum-padded feet to blade surfaces in offshore conditions
  • Ability to navigate the varying curvature of blade surfaces in a variety of scenarios
  • Transmission of data from blade scans and live video feed to technicians demonstrating the BladeBUG’s navigational abilities and placement of feet on changing surfaces

“This is an incredibly significant technology that we know is being keenly watched by the industry as a potential game-changer,” said Chris Hill, ORE Catapult’s Operational Performance Director.

“It has a clear potential for cutting costs, reducing human offshore deployment and increasing blade lifetimes. But, we had yet to see how the robot would perform on a real turbine out at sea. I consider BladeBUG’s first walk at Levenmouth as offshore wind’s ‘moon walk’ – a historic milestone in the industry’s evolution. Robotics are here to stay, and they will be an essential ingredient to operating ever-expanding wind farms, deeper-water sites and faster, bigger turbines in the coming years.”

Chris Cieslak, BladeBUG CEO said: “This is such a historic moment for us as a company. It has been so exciting to see results of months of work and development in action and this latest test marks the huge progress we have made. In a little over a year we have gone from designing and testing our first prototype, to taking our first tentative steps with our Mark I robot, to now, seeing the BladeBUG robot walk along the blade of an actual offshore wind turbine. We cannot wait to perform further trials and demonstrate the capabilities further offshore.”

The robot is also a key component of the £4.2 million MIMRee project which will demonstrate a fully autonomous inspection and repair mission to an offshore wind farm.

During these trials, BladeBUG will work in collaboration with an autonomous vessel and teams of drones, using a robotic arm to clean and resurface damaged blades. The final MIMRee system technology trials are set to take place in mid-2021.

Author: https://www.oedigital.com/

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Global | 2021-01-13

TSHD ‘Uilenspiegel’ in the Mediterranean

DEME Group is currently executing several port development dredging projects in the Mediterranean. Recently, the company’s trailing suction hopper dredger ‘Uilenspiegel’ finalised the deepening of the access channel to the Port of Setubal in Portugal. TSHD ‘Uilenspiegel’ was one of three hoppers deployed on the project. During the works, these hopper dredgers removed approximately 3.5 ...

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Goldwind commissions 4MW prototype

Global | 2021-01-12

Goldwind commissions 4MW prototype

Goldwind has connected its first GW165-4.0MW wind turbine to the grid. The prototype unit has been installed at the Xinjiang Dabancheng wind farm in China and was connected to the grid on 31 December 2020, the company told reNEWS. Goldwind will carry out a series of tests on the unit, including a generator convertor ground commissioning ...

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Sospan Dau in action over the festive break

Global | 2021-01-11

Sospan Dau in action over the festive break

Hopper dredger Sospan Dau was busy over the past two weeks discharging 18,000m3 of dredged material onto the foreshore in Southsea. According to the officials, the dredger has formed a working platform with this material in preparation for sheet piling on the west side. This will allow the contractors to commence sheet piling the rear ...

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South Fork OWF Draft EIS Out

Global | 2021-01-06

South Fork OWF Draft EIS Out

The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has published a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the South Fork offshore wind farm and will open a 45-day public comment period on 8 January. After the public consultation period, BOEM will address all received comments and publish a Final EIS, which is expected to be ...

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Boskalis Buys Rever Offshore’s Subsea Business

Global | 2021-01-05

Boskalis Buys Rever Offshore’s Subsea Business

Dutch offshore services provider Boskalis has acquired all the shares of Rever Offshore’s subsea services business. Rever, formally known as Bibby Offshore, provides solutions in the area of subsea construction, inspection, repair and maintenance. Through the transaction, Boskalis will obtain two diving support vessels – Rever Polaris which is fully owned and the chartered Rever ...

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Van Oord orders green cable-laying vessel

Global | 2020-12-21

Van Oord orders green cable-laying vessel

Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 17 December 2020 – Van Oord has ordered a next-generation custom-built green cable-laying vessel. The vessel will be delivered from VARD in Norway and equipped with the latest sustainable technologies. The vessel will be fully operational in 2023. This investment is part of Van Oord’s strategy to strengthen its leading position in ...

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European energy infrastructure must prioritise renewables

Global | 2020-12-21

European energy infrastructure must prioritise renewables

WindEurope criticises the text of the TEN-E revision presented today by the European Commission. The Commission missed an important chance to clearly prioritise renewable electricity and renewable hydrogen infrastructure. Instead the TEN-E revision leaves a door open for fossil fuel projects, undermining the European Green Deal objective of climate neutrality. Today the European Commission presented ...

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Offshore Wind Investments to Swell in 2021 with New Markets

Global | 2020-12-09

Offshore Wind Investments to Swell in 2021 with New Markets

Investments in offshore wind projects in new and emerging markets next year will result in offshore wind gaining a greater share of the total wind power market globally, according to the latest report from Fitch Solutions. There are currently over 66 GW of offshore wind in pre-construction or construction out of almost 162 GW of ...

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Five fundamental building blocks to grow the global offshore wind market

Global | 2020-12-09

Five fundamental building blocks to grow the global offshore wind market

A new report released by the Ocean Renewable Energy Action Coalition (OREAC) highlights the five fundamental building blocks to expand the global offshore wind energy market. The blocks highlighted in the The Power of Our Ocean include:  stable policies, pipeline visibility, resourced institutions, a supportive and engaged public, and a competitive environment.  The report states that up ...

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GWO, RenewableUK Team Up to Fast-Track Oil & Gas Workers’ Switch to Offshore Wind

Global | 2020-12-03

GWO, RenewableUK Team Up to Fast-Track Oil & Gas Workers’ Switch to Offshore Wind

Global Wind Organisation (GWO) and RenewableUK are launching a new programme to support the transition of skilled workers from sectors such as oil & gas into renewables. In April 2021, the two organisations will launch GWO Safety Training Access Programme, which will allow workers from other sectors to fast-track onto GWO’s refresher courses if they ...

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Bigger Picture: Offshore Wind, Green Hydrogen Backbone of EU’s 2050 Goal

Global | 2020-11-24

Bigger Picture: Offshore Wind, Green Hydrogen Backbone of EU’s 2050 Goal

European Union’s Offshore Renewable Energy Strategy, published on 19 November and targeting as much as 300 GW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2050, also outlines the goal of supporting green hydrogen production. In anticipation of the launch of the new Renewable Hydrogen Coalition, it is ever so evident that EU’s (offshore) wind and hydrogen are to ...

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What happens when wind turbines get old?

Global | 2020-11-23

What happens when wind turbines get old?

WindEurope’s End-of-Life Issues and Strategies Seminar (EoLIS 2020) explored what happens when wind turbines reach the end of their operational life. Industry experts discussed the latest trends and developments in repowering, lifetime extension, decommissioning and recycling. WindEurope presented a new Industry Guidance Document for the dismantling and decommissioning of onshore turbines. 34,000 wind turbines in ...

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Industry ready to deliver on EU’s plan for 25-fold increase in offshore wind

Global | 2020-11-20

Industry ready to deliver on EU’s plan for 25-fold increase in offshore wind

WindEurope welcomes the Offshore Renewable Energy Strategy presented by the European Commission today. The Strategy foresees 300 GW of offshore wind in the EU by 2050. Offshore wind is set to be the number one source of electricity Europe consumes by around 2040. The European wind industry is ready to deliver this. But beefing up ...

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Offshore Wind Turbine Market Research Report

Global | 2020-11-05

Offshore Wind Turbine Market Research Report

The global offshore wind turbine market is predicted to grow, in value, from $24,683.3 million to $68,869.3 million from 2019 to 2026. The main factor propelling the surge of the market is the rising implementation of various initiatives aimed at promoting the production of clean energy by the governments of many countries around the world. ...

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Global pipeline of offshore wind projects soars by nearly 50% this year

Global | 2020-11-03

Global pipeline of offshore wind projects soars by nearly 50% this year

New research published this week by RenewableUK shows that the total pipeline of global offshore wind projects has grown by 47% since January – despite the pandemic – making the sector the fastest growing one across all energy segments. The Offshore Wind Project Intelligence report published by the not for profit renewable energy trade association ...

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