HMH pioneers component exchange for offshore wind turbine maintenance

By nature, operating an offshore wind farm is costly, complex and cumbersome. One of the industry’s challenges is therefore to perform major component replacement (MCR) offshore. Today, when bottom-fixed wind turbines need maintenance, jack-ups and heavy crane vessels are deployed to the site and floating wind turbines are towed all the way back to shore.

“HMH has applied its 125+ years of industry expertise to simplifying offshore wind maintenance,” explains Gjellestad.

HMH has developed a component exchange concept for offshore wind turbine maintenance that eliminates jack-up vessels and towing. The solution combines two proven technologies: HMH’s Heave Compensation Technology and Liftra’s Self-Hoisting Crane LT1200.

“The solution will enable MCR operations from service operation vessels (SOVs) and the like on both today’s bottom-fixed and future floating wind turbines,” says Line Kristiansen, who also works as a Business Developer Renewables alongside Gjellestad.

“A major part of the solution is that HMH and Liftra have teamed up. We have decades of experience in offshore heave compensation, while Liftra has field-proven crane technology from onshore wind. By combining the two, we make the technology work offshore as well,” she adds.

The current concept targets bottom-fixed turbines already installed in existing wind farms. It can handle wind loads up to 18 m/s, wave heights up to 1.5 m and components up to 50 metric tons. Multi-brand operations up to 6MW are supported.

HMH will provide maintenance benefits not previously available to offshore wind farms. “Our concept performs MCR offshore in an easier, cheaper and more eco-friendly way than any other existing solutions,” says Gjellestad.

“The Offshore Component eXchange (OCX) will give an operational edge to vessel owners and increase margins for wind farm operators,” he adds.

Operational costs, and therefore LCOE, will be reduced by enabling simpler, faster in-situ maintenance. As smaller vessels are used and towing is eliminated, less sailing and fuel consumption will lower CO2 emissions.

In addition, the solution will enable faster mobilisation and demobilisation, due in part to the availability and manoeuvrability of SOVs.

Offshore wind installations are expected to triple in 2028 from 10.8 GW in 2023. By 2033, they are expected to reach 66 GW. HMH is therefore launching its solution at an optimal time of market growth.

Today the solution is targeted at existing bottom-fixed wind farms, and the company plans to further develop its solution in partnership with a suitable vessel owner and wind farm operator. With successful deployment, the solution will be scaled up for bigger turbines and more floating offshore wind.

Founded over a century ago, HMH is known for manufacturing high-quality equipment in onshore and offshore drilling. The company is now embracing new opportunities in offshore wind, subsea mining, civil construction and innovative digital solutions.