Goodtech pioneers automated offshore wind substructure assembly

Offshore wind farms are highly complex, requiring world-class feats of engineering. Ironically, though, offshore wind substructures are still produced manually, normally in low-cost countries in Asia.

“The process is slow, laborious and subject to human error,” explains Skjåk-Bræk. “Not to mention the high cost and carbon emissions from transporting the substructures across the globe.”

Goodtech delivers a turnkey solution for the automated and digitalised production of offshore wind substructures. Robotics are used for welding and handling, and a cutting-edge, data-driven production system monitors and controls all phases of production. Automated guided vehicles (AGV) provide logistics and internal transport of parts.

The solution is available for both bottom-fixed and floating offshore wind substructures.

“Our goal is to cut the production time from one year to a couple of weeks. As an example, manual workers need two days to weld one pipe, while our automated solution can do the same task up to seven times faster,” says Skjåk-Bræk.

Read more: Providing services for offshore wind

Robots scan the product and compare the result with the CAD model to automatically generate a program for the production process. All processes and process parameters are monitored by the company’s manufacturing execution system (MES), which provides traceability.

“If something goes wrong later on, we can go back and see exactly what work has been done in all processes and can also use the data for process optimisation,” he adds.

Goodtech has delivered its fully automated production line to Aker Solutions, a global sustainable energy company headquartered in Norway.

When production stays close to site, people and the planet benefit. This is why Goodtech targets offshore wind yards, where turbines are built onshore, and developers that want to produce the structures near the wind farm site.

“For the first time, a wind farm developer in Europe can afford to bring substructure production home from Asia. Our solution increases quality, safety and productivity, while greatly reducing transport and labour costs, manual work and the risk of human error,” says Skjåk-Bræk.

Moreover, by eliminating the need to transport components from Asia to Europe, the offshore wind industry will reduce its own carbon footprint.

Read more: Competence and solutions

The global offshore wind market is growing steadily. Over 30 GW of offshore wind capacity, across 32 markets, is projected to be added from 2023 to 2032. A total of 41 per cent of this growth is expected to come from Europe.

Goodtech is already a key player in this market, providing its Wind SCADA system to the world’s largest floating offshore wind farm, Hywind Tampen. “This is a mark of quality in itself,” says Skjåk-Bræk.

The company is also one of the largest independent system integrators in Scandinavia. It delivers a range of offshore wind solutions from studies to EPCI, implementation, support and after-market.

“The world needs more renewable energy and, therefore, more offshore wind turbines. If we’re going to deliver on climate change, we can’t do it manually. We need automation and robotics to get it done,” he concludes.