By Rasmus Helveg Petersen,
Minister for Climate, Energy and Building
Much has changed since the eleven 450 kW turbines were erected in 1991 at Vindeby, the world’s first offshore wind farm. The Kriegers Flak project in Denmark will amount to 600 MW. We see the emergence of wind turbines in the 5-10 MW range, and simultaneously we see the design of installment vessels made specifically for offshore wind farm deployment.
The standards work that has been performed by the established European offshore wind industry over more than a decade is creating a valuable HSE platform not only for North Europe, but also for less experienced markets such as Southern Europe, Asia and the USA. Continue reading
In January 2014, six companies got together to test the use of vibration piling as a quieter, faster way to sink monopiles into the seabed. The results aren’t finalised yet, but what’s the current status?
RWE Innogy, E.ON, Dong Energy, Vattenfall, EnBW and Bilfinger Marine and Offshore. When a line-up of companies like this gets together to support an innovative project, you would expect them to make quite an impact. In the case of this pilot project, however, the situation is quite the opposite. Continue reading
By Jens Frederik Hansen,
CEO, A2SEA A/S
Local content legislation introduces requirements aimed at creating jobs, promoting enterprise development and accelerating the transfer of skills and technologies. It’s a strategic issue for the industry that presents both challenges and opportunities. Continue reading
By Kirsten Bank Christensen
Vice President, Group HSEQ, A2SEA A/S
The offshore wind industry is growing and maturing at an impressive pace. With this pace comes considerable opportunity to improve on health and safety. But exactly what does it take to put safe working systems into play? And how can we build up experience, resources and training to establish safety as more than just an operational safeguard? Continue reading
We take a closer look at what is perhaps the most crucial piece of onboard machinery in offshore wind installation.
For an offshore wind installation vessel, a main crane is like a carpenter’s hammer: the most important tool in the toolbox. There, however, is where the comparison stops, because SEA CHALLENGER’s main crane is one of the most up-to-date cranes in offshore wind, capable of feats far in excess of anything you can do with a hammer. Continue reading
By Arve Sandve, Business Development Manager/Principal Consultant, Lloyd’s Register Consulting, Norway
Lloyd’s Register Consulting has developed a CFD simulation tool to help protect personnel against the risk of fire in the nacelle by determining the likely dispersion of heat or gases.
Fire and gas incidents on a wind turbine are recognised as major hazards to the safety of personnel and assets – particularly if the rotors should catch fire, too. That said, there’s no need to panic: even with the number of moving parts and the sheer amount of electricity generated in an offshore turbine, the risk of a fire is very low indeed. But wherever there’s a risk, there’s a job to be done from a safety perspective. Continue reading
With safety at the heart of everything A2SEA does, we constantly look for areas that could offer further improvements – or reinforce focus on key safety practices. Recently, we’ve implemented a Dropped Objects campaign designed to offer greater protection to A2SEA employees, our suppliers, sub-contractors and clients. Continue reading
On the job with Christian Schrøder: Zero Harm Safety Coach, A2SEA A/S
“I’m a safe person by nature – in everything I do,” says Christian. “At home, for example, I’m the one who checks the dishwasher, turning the knives so their sharp tips point downward.” Continue reading
By Morten S. Pedersen, Westermost Rough Project Manager
At Westermost Rough, A2SEA has been working with Siemens Wind Power’s sophisticated tool for installing single blades at higher windspeeds and with greater safety. It’s impressive-looking, and it works just as impressively, too. Continue reading