Short Course 1

EAGE Short Course 1

An Introduction to Offshore Wind

Date:
Monday 5 June 2023

CPD Points: 5

Instructor

Jeroen Godtschalk
Sr Consultant/Project Manager (BLIX Consultancy)

Overview

The purpose of this course is to provide the participants with a comprehensive introduction into offshore wind, its development and the role of the geoscientist in this process.

During the course, the participants are taken through all the basic building blocks of the offshore wind development. We start the course with an introduction into the various options for renewable energy and why offshore wind is often the preferred option. We conclude this course by discussing the installation issues for offshore wind farms, but also touch upon maintenance issues. In between we cover all the basic steps of development, with a slight focus on the more geoscience related work such as site investigation work, setting the correct parameters for the offshore campaign and foundation selection.

After having completed the course, the participants should have a better understanding of how offshore wind farms are being developed and what factors are influencing the design and the business case of such farms. The participant should then also have a clear idea on what the role of the geoscientist in this process is. This should give him/her also some possible guidance on the career opportunities in this field, should he/she decided to move away from oil & gas and pursue a career in offshore wind.

In order to participate in this course, no real knowledge of offshore wind is mandatory. A basic understanding of geophysical and geotechnical methods will help, but the course can also easily be followed with limited knowledge of these subjects.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of the course, the participants will be able to:

Better understand the process and the steps of an offshore wind farm development.
Have a clear understanding of the role of the geoscientist in this process.
Understand what factors are determining the final design and layout of an offshore wind farm.
Have a good overall idea of offshore wind.

Course Outline

Section 1. Offshore wind basics
• Overview of renewable energies
• Why offshore wind
• The physics behind offshore wind
• What is needed for an offshore wind farm (how to decide on a suitable site)
• Required permits

Section 2. Site selection
• What stakeholders do we have before site selection
• Seabed occupation/UXO
• Grid connection to shore
• Ports/logistics hub
• Geospatial issues
• Desktop studies on geology, archaeology, morphodynamics

Section 3. Data collection
• MetOcean Data – wind, waves and current
o Methodology
o Why needed and how is it used
• Geophysical data – seabed and below seabed
o Methodology
o Why needed and how is it used
• Geotechnical data – seabed and below seabed
o Methodology
o Why needed and how is it used
• Morphodynamics
• Integration into a ground model

Section 4. Foundation types
• Different types of foundation
• Which foundation suits which project and why
• Pro’s and Con’s for each foundation

Section 5. Transport & Installation
• Installation of different foundations
• Cable installation
• Typical issues for installation
• Maintenance

Participants’ Profile

The course is designed for anybody who wants to learn more about offshore wind development and who is keen to learn to understand the basic building blocks of offshore wind.

Prerequisites

A basic understanding of geophysical and geotechnical methods will help, but the course can also easily be followed with limited knowledge of these subjects. In addition, basic understanding of physics will help to understand the overall idea of wind energy and its associated issues.

Time	Activity
08:00	Departure from conference center Messe Wien
09:00 – 09:20	Safety introduction ITC
09:20 – 10:50	ITC / TECH Center & Lab
10:50 – 11:00	Group exchange
11:00 – 12:30	ITC / TECH Center & Lab
12:30 – 13:30	Lunch at the ITC event area
14:30	Arrival back at conference center Messe Wien