A Green Energy Sector
Have you thought about introducing subsea robotics to offshore renewables? Kongsberg Ferrotech improves offshore renewables by solving complex degradation problems and introduces advanced robotic solutions to inspect and repair underwater assets.
Ambitious environmental targets from governments around the world are accelerating the growth of offshore renewables and in particular, offshore wind, which represents a significant potential for renewable energy production.
As any underwater asset, offshore wind structures require periodical maintenance during its lifetime. Offshore wind structures represent a significant percentage of the total costs of a wind farm, this affects the importance of protecting these structures from degradation.
Kongsberg Ferrotech introduces robotic inspection and repair services to offshore wind structures and subsea power cables to improve offshore renewables and solve complex problems related to degradation. Through remotely operated robots, designed with automated underwater habitats, Kongsberg Ferrotech provides a tailor-made underwater workshop that can carry out inspection and repair in one single mobilization allowing preventive O&M.
Protecting offshore wind farms from degradation
Global offshore wind installations in 2020 totaled 5,519 megawatts and the offshore wind market is expected to grow over 12 percent per year between 2021 and 2026. Once offshore wind structures are installed, its foundations become vulnerable to saltwater and underwater species making them exposed to corrosion, coating damages, and material fatigue.
Inspection and repair of offshore wind structures are complex and hazardous. To protect offshore wind structures from degradation and extend their lifetime Kongsberg Ferrotech have come up with an advanced robotic solution, which ensures that all repairs are conducted in a controlled environment. Inspections and repairs can be performed in less time, with less resources, and with less risk, resulting in a significant cost reduction. The robots are designed with automated underwater habitats that can be equipped with a wide range of technologies and tools such as corrosion protection, additive manufacturing, and reinforcements by engineered composite systems. To ensure active protection and maintenance Kongsberg Ferrotech delivers a wide range of inspection methods, from visually inspection to NDT technologies, and even x-ray techniques.
Corrosion caused by subsea cable failures
Subsea cables represent a small percentage of the total costs of a wind farm. However, when these cables fail, the impact is often significant. In 2019, close to 9TWh of energy production was lost due to subsea cable failures. Such failures are expected to grow in line with the growth of offshore wind farms.
Kongsberg Ferrotech offers a wide range of robotic services that reduces the failure risks of subsea power cables, by stopping latent defects to develop into catastrophic defects. With the help of underwater robots, Kongsberg Ferrotech, offers services that focuses on providing preventive maintenance through external interventions as well as developing advanced methods for repairing cable internal defects.
Robotic inspection and repair services for the lifetime of an asset
By bringing topside solutions underwater, Kongsberg Ferrotech solves in-situ complex subsea problems and break down barriers to improve offshore renewables. The introduction of robotic underwater habitats allows for a completely new way of conducting O&M and responds to a growing industry challenge. With the possibility to conduct robotic services with new methods and tools, these operations can be performed with increased efficiency, reduced costs, and with maximized lifetime extension.
