Offshore Wind Advanced Technology Demonstration

In the first phase of the offshore wind advanced technology demonstration program, Baryonyx Corporation completed longitudinal wind resource assessments and avian surveys off the coast of Texas, and designed an advanced jacket foundation using lessons learned from the oil and gas sector. Statoil North America performed numerous environmental surveys in the Gulf of Maine, as well as design studies that advanced the state-of-the-art in specialized floating spar buoy substructures. 

The second phase of the offshore wind advanced technology demonstration program supported five projects:

•  Dominion Virginia Power optimized a twisted jacket foundation design for resilience to hurricanes, which will be important for future U.S. deployments on the Atlantic and Gulf coast. Additionally, the diligent efforts of Dominion and the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) led to the first approval of a wind energy research lease in federal waters. By pioneering the leasing process in federal waters, the project will help to inform future commercial-scale leasing processes. Dominion's development activities have also engaged industry stakeholders, leading to enhanced understanding of the unique aspects of offshore wind energy, streamlining of the permitting process, and identification of several areas and methodologies for potential cost reduction. 
•  Principle Power advanced the state of knowledge regarding floating offshore wind platforms, decreasing the weight and cost of the platform while increasing the platform turbine capacity to 8 MW. These advancements will support the next generation of floating offshore wind turbines. Principle Power also worked with BOEM to make significant progress under the BOEM permitting process; this process included extensive stakeholder outreach and consultation with local Native Americans, resulting in the enhanced understanding of the unique aspects of floating offshore wind technologies. 
•  Fishermen’s Energy worked with U.S.-based foundation company Keystone Engineering to further develop an innovative twisted jacket foundation type that will be easier to manufacture and install than traditional foundations, helping drive down the cost of energy produced by offshore wind systems. In order to ensure the safety of the workers who will service the offshore turbines, Fishermen's and Keystone Engineering also developed a new access ladder that is rotated 90 degrees, allowing workers to safely sidestep onto the ladder when performing installation, operations, and maintenance activities. 
• The Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation (LEEDCo) explored the feasibility of using an innovative Mono Bucket foundation while also addressing technical challenges unique to fresh water offshore wind deployments such as surface icing. Mono Bucket foundations would be installed using suction rather than pile driving, which could reduce installation time, costs, and environmental impacts compared to traditional foundations. The LEEDCo project also completed the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. 
• Because of the deep waters off the coast of Maine, where traditional foundations are not feasible, the University of Maine focused on developing an innovative concrete semisubmersible floating platform. The University of Maine demonstrated a 1:8-scale prototype of their floating VolturnUS foundation, and they applied the knowledge gained in designing, constructing and deploying the prototype to the engineering efforts of a megawatt-scale design. The project began the NEPA and state permitting processes, and the University and their partners also worked closely with commercial entities to begin scoping and procurement activities leading to direct floating offshore wind industry learning. The University and its partners made significant progress on the engineering design of the full-scale foundation by focusing on commercial-scale manufacturing of the foundation and reducing costs. These considerations have led to significant reductions in the internal steel requirements and vastly improved manufacturability of the foundation.