Operation and Maintenance

During the productive life time of a wind farm, there will be a requirement to meet operational licence conditions, which typically include monitoring requirements. Ensuring that the wind farm operates optimally also requires information about its status and performance. Likewise, careful planning and appropriate training is needed to ensure the safety of personnel involved in operations and maintenance activities in offshore situations.

Expertise in monitoring solutions for offshore wind farms

NIRAS provides state-of-the-art monitoring solutions for offshore wind farms. We possess expertise in the measurement of:

• Structural integrity

• Fatigue status of structures

• Environmental conditions, including

• Marine ecological surveys

• Ornithological monitoring

• Execution and evaluation of geophysical surveys

Strong competencies within operational data evaluation and interpretation

Optimising the operation of wind farms requires accurate information and interpretation of performance. NIRAS has experience in the evaluation of operational data and its interpretation, including production verification (e.g. power curves).

Health, safety and environment (HSE) plans and training

Our expert team advises on planning and execution of safe operations. In addition to advising on and preparing HSE plans, we also have experience with planning of crew transfer and accommodation logistics. NIRAS prepares and delivers HSE training covering all aspects of wind farm operations and maintenance, including in relation to onshore port and harbour facilities.

Accommodation vessel feasibility analysis

NIRAS is experienced in investigating logistics for the next phase of offshore wind farms located further offshore, extending the travel distance and shortening the effective working day. Longer travel distance requires longer weather windows with wind and waves less than a certain limit which reduce the probability to access the wind farm. We evaluate several different combinations of accommodation and crew transfer methods taking into consideration both weather and cost.

Evaluation and improvement of existing scour protection

NIRAS also conducts evaluations of existing scour protection and design of new improved scour protection concept for the substructure. The scope of work in within such services include but are not limited to:

• Site specific data review

• Analysing of historic data

• Setup of 3D CFD model

• Simulation and computation fluid dynamic (CFD) calculation

• Basic design of the scour protection concept

• Scour protection installation and technical specification

To find the best scour protection concept for a site in the fastest and most reliable way, NIRAS undertakes meticulous CFD modelling, using actual, up-to-date data from the given site. Information about the actual current, waves and weather on a specific site can be used to simulate closely how the scouring happens under different circumstances, at different times of year and in different weather. Based on these simulations, NIRAS proposes a plan for design of a scour protection.

In cases with complex design of the structures, NIRAS uses CFD analysis to determine the ideal properties of the rocks.