Weather downtime
Floating offshore wind weather downtime support for O&M cost assessment
Offshore Wind Innovation Hub
Weather downtime
As the world decarbonises to meet emissions reduction targets, floating offshore wind offers huge potential to contribute to the energy mix.
As part of a report looking at options for repairs, the Offshore Wind Innovation Hub (OWIH) undertook a study into potential operation and maintenance (O&M) costs for floating wind, comparing the costs of employing either an offsite (tow to port) or onsite (fix in-situ) in various scenarios.
OWIH used ABPmer’s Weather Downtime Express (WDTX) to identify the downtime of the intended operational programme (task list) for each scenario.
WDTX used the task lists and working limits to simulate the completion of all tasks in sequence, over a wide range of historical conditions at the chosen sites. The use of WDTX helped OWIH reach key conclusions for their report. For example, they found that:
- Significant weather restrictions, combined with completion time, mean that component replacement at height incurs the greatest weather downtime and highest cost of all tasks analysed
- Tow-to-port repair of semi-submersibles is always the lowest cost option for major repairs, even in harsh weather conditions
Our weather downtime calculator provides robust statistical estimates to dramatically increase your understanding of project risk. Learn more about our weather downtime services.
