NLMK DanSteel, part of NLMK Europe Plate and Denmark’s only manufacturer of plates, has joined the European research and development programme aimed at improving the construction of foundations for offshore wind turbines in order to reduce their weight and cost, as well as raise the investment appeal of wind generation.
Other participants from the Danish side are DONG Energy and Bladt Industries, manufacturers of foundations for turbines. The research project is carried out by the UK Carbon Trust, Offshore Wind Accelerator programme (OWA), aimed at promoting offshore wind generation and reducing the cost of wind energy. The current geotechnical design for the foundations of offshore wind turbines is very conservative. Oxford University, Imperial College London and University College Dublin have developed a new progressive method. To implement it, a series of experiments needs to be performed using large-dimension steel piles under lateral load. As part of the experimental programme, NLMK DanSteel will supply thick plates of special dimensions made from high-strength steel to be made into piles used in the foundations for new-generation turbines.
Experiments will be held in the coastal waters of Dunkirk (France) and Cowden (Great Britain). The results of the experiments will be used to develop an industrial prototype for the new type offshore wind turbine foundations.