AiP awarded for Maridea’s Moray Base concept, which can support wind turbines up to 15 MW and is capable of operating in harsh offshore environments in water depths of over 100m.

Lloyd’s Register  has granted Approval in Principle  to Maridea, a Dutch subsidiary of MULTI Engineering group, for its innovative Moray Base concept, based on a series produced ‘monopile type’ floating foundation for offshore wind turbines.

The concept features a thick-walled steel tubular structure without nodes, reducing fatigue hotspots which could eliminate the need for costly offshore repairs.

The novel design benefits from a streamlined process, from production to transport and installation, driving down costs for wind farm operators. The base is constructed using a monopile fabrication process, avoiding traditional fabrication practices with complex nodes that increase production time, whilst the four sections of the foundation allow for easier global transport and assembly.

Approval in Principle was awarded following LR’s assessment of the Moray Base current design, undertaken against the requirements of the relevant industry codes and standards. The design evaluation covers the strength and stability aspects of the concept, for a sample location in the Central North Sea and is based on a 25-year lifetime design without the necessity of intermediate dockings.

Markus Büsig, North Europe Area Manager, Lloyd’s Register, said:

“Lloyd’s Register’s Approval in Principle for this ground-breaking concept by Maridea marks a significant milestone for the floating wind sector. The Moray Base design offers a real and tangible vision for how floating wind farms can operate in inhospitable conditions, a crucial step as the industry drives towards a sustainable future.

“Maridea’s professionalism and solid performance throughout the design stage has made the AiP process seamless and each member of the team involved in this concept deserves a huge congratulations for all of their exceptional work.”

George Kallenos, Global Lead, Offshore Renewables, Lloyd’s Register, said:

“We are pleased to award AiP to Maridea for their Moray Base floating wind concept. This innovative and simple (from a structural arrangement perspective) design is offering something new to the floating wind sector, to enable reduced manufacturing periods and costs based on established manufacturing methods.

“We are proud to work together with Maridea on an exciting project, one which signposts the huge future potential for floating wind farms to operate with large numbers of turbines in harsh environments and deep waters. We look forward in supporting Maridea in the next steps of design development and certification of the Moray Base. “

Christiaan Schuiling, Product Development Manager, Maridea, said:

“Moray Base was designed with mass production and simplicity as main drivers. This resulted in the revolutionary shape. The commercial feedback from industry has been very positive, but achieving AiP from LR underlines that the unusual design is also feasible and efficient from a stability and structural perspective.”

Niko Fierens, CEO, MULTI Engineering, said:

“It is great to see truly disruptive ideas growing in the smart brains of our engineers. We firmly believe this is a potential gamechanger to take the floating wind industry to the next level.”

The AiP adds to LR’s commitment to advance the case for emerging technologies in the floating offshore wind sector. Previously LR has granted AiP to Seaplace for its CROWN active ballast control system and to further support the development of floating offshore wind, LR is due to publish its Recommended Practice (RP) for floating offshore wind in the near future.