Page 61 - European Energy Innovation - Spring 2017 publication

Spring 2017 European Energy Innovation 61

COMMUNICATION

FP7 LEANWIND

The FP7 LEANWIND project addresses key targets of • Nine inter-connected optimisation models for all life cycle
both the European Wind and Transport Technology phases and supply chain legs resulting in a holistic set of
Platforms, with a focus on reducing the cost of decision support tools applicable to port logistics, offshore
offshore wind. The project aims to contribute to and on-land transportation for the offshore wind industry.
cost reduction by seeking efficiencies across the wind farm
life-cycle. LEANWIND was awarded to a consortium of 31 • Various testing and validation exercises including
partners (52% from industry) from 11 countries and is led by the remote presence prototype, the highwind blade
University College Cork, Ireland. The diverse team brings installation system and the PLOCAN platform.
together experts from multiple sectors including oil and
gas, maritime, shipping and offshore wind industries with • Holistic financial model considering business models and
representatives across the supply chain including risk; CAPEX and installation; OPEX; decommissioning;
developers, utilities, turbine suppliers, vessel owners, and life-cycle assessment. These models are used in
shipbuilding, classification societies and academics. combination with the logistics models to evaluate project
LEANWIND is a 4 year project which commenced in innovations and provide recommendations to define a
December 2013 and received funding of about €10million roadmap for the offshore wind industry.
from the European Commission.
Therefore LEANWIND is committed to developing innovative
Core technical work examines practical ways of improving techniques and technologies tailored to match current and
and developing technologies and strategies to optimise medium term industry needs. These will contribute to cost
the deployment, maintenance and decommissioning of reduction and EU competitiveness in specific niche markets
large-scale wind turbines. LEANWIND considers 5-8MW related to offshore wind. ●
wind turbines using both fixed and floating substructures
to include long-term wind farm prospects. The transport, Floating wind energy platform being tested
logistical and maintenance challenges associated with these
structures are addressed by developing novel approaches to
vessel design, vessel management, sub-structure alterations
and O&M strategies and streamlining logistics across each
project stage in order to reduce both capital (CAPEX) and
operational (OPEX) costs.

Key LEANWIND innovations include:

• Novel adaptations for fixed and floating substructures to The work described in this publication has
improve installation efficiency and reduce costs. These received funding from the European Union
designs incorporate innovative deployment and assembly Seventh Framework Programme under the
strategies. agreement SCP2-GA-2013-614020

• Development of installation vessel design for transport Contact details:
and installation of 8 no. 8MW turbines See our website www.leanwind.eu or follow us on twitter
@LEANWINDFP7 for news and events.
• Service Operations Vessel Design to optimise O&M for far
offshore sites

• Development of simulator based tools supporting concept
design feasibility studies; the development of operational
procedures and training of crews and operators.

• A remote presence prototype to monitor turbine condition
to reduce the need for offshore maintenance work.

• For optimisation of O&M activities development of the
following; O&M strategy optimisation models, a dynamic
scheduling tool, failure/degradation models and an online
system for condition monitoring and diagnosis/prognosis
of faults in offshore wind turbines.

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