The power of sea state monitoring

As the need for installation and maintenance vessels swells, so does the need for technologies that enable efficient operations by providing insights into the sea state, helping operators to meet industry standards and objectives.

Accurate sea state information has always been fundamental for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of offshore operations, no matter the sector. While that is a fact, and one that is unlikely to ever change, how industry monitors the marine environment is constantly evolving and improving.

As the industry grows, offshore wind developers are constantly looking to refine and optimise their offshore installation and operations and maintenance (O&M) operations – for that, new cutting-edge technology, providing reliable data, is needed.

Miros has been constantly evolving its radar-based systems to remain at the forefront of the offshore sector. The company’s technology gauges live ocean data – waves, currents, sea levels, and weather conditions – providing comprehensive real-time insights, as well as offering short-term prediction of waves and vessel motion, which is key to unlocking effective offshore vessel activities in support of offshore wind.

The motion of the ocean

One aspect of vessel operations within the wind industry that can be particularly impacted by the weather, and subsequent wave and current conditions, are ‘Walk-to-Work’ (W2W) initiatives. While this process gives wind technicians easier access to fixed or floating wind turbines, enabling O&M activities to run more smoothly, the connection of the gangway system to the turbine throws up obvious risks, and the impact of waves and currents is amplified.

To carry this work out safely, developers and operators require a precise understanding of the current sea state and, therefore, rely on forecast data to enable planning for operations. However, traditional weather forecasts do not always close this knowledge gap, as forecasts are typically less accurate and infrequent, given they are designed to predict longer, slow changing trends.

The ocean surface is not static and can change in a matter of minutes, or even seconds, resulting in operators typically relying on inaccurate or out-of-date seas state information. This has a knock-on effect on offshore operations, especially W2W deployments.

In order to further support planning and operations – that rely more heavily on forecast data – Miros recently launched ‘Forecast’, an application which integrates real-time measured data with forecasted sea conditions. By combining these two elements, clients, like vessel operators, receive the necessary insights to navigate the next steps in their activities, elevating safety with a data-led approach.

The risks of ignoring waves

It is also worth developers considering the potential implications of not having access to high-quality, real-time sea condition data, particularly for offshore wind support vessels. Not having the right wave and weather information can have severe consequences, especially around safety for offshore workers and assets. Making decisions based on incomplete information increases the chances of accidents, vessel collisions, equipment damage, and in a worst-case scenario, loss of life.

Many offshore operations are also subject to regulatory requirements and safety benchmarks that become more difficult to adhere to without proper information, potentially leading to fines, legal issues, and reputational damage.

Put simply, if an operator has access to local real-time data and knows what the offshore conditions are like, it significantly reduces the likelihood of being caught off guard.

Sea-state-as-a-service

Miros’ Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled wave sensors are developed and tested for use in the harshest ocean conditions. As a result, they offer an immediate improvement in sea-state monitoring, providing up-to-the-minute data, crucial for optimising offshore wind farm installation and operation.

Moreover, the comprehensive and centralised approach enabled by the ‘Sea-State-as-a-Service’ subscription model further enhances the usability and accessibility of this technology. By subscribing, rather than buying hardware outright, clients receive included premium support and guaranteed uptime, increasing the operational output of wind turbines.

Under as-a-Service, warranty of the state-of-the-art technology and latest Microsoft Azure cybersecurity is included as a standard. If any matters or questions arise, Miros experts are ready to address them.

It also comes with advanced cloud-sharing capabilities and the intuitive, easy to use Data Explorer cloud dashboard; given the number of potential stakeholders in an offshore wind project – owners, installers, O&M crews, asset integrity analysts – the value here is obvious.

On the dashboard, located on the miros.app, users can arrange the real-time measurements in a manner that suits them best, to see the data that matters the most in a preferred view – it is not pre-configured. There is also the option to access historic data, which is beneficial for asset integrity and understanding what impacts the waves have had to a structure over time. This not only allows for safer offshore maintenance activities, but also lowers various cost points for wind farm developers and vessel operators.

Much needed cost relief

That cost point is crucial considering the huge financial pressures wind farm developers and their supply chain partners are currently under. Because Miros owns, insures, and maintains its sensors under the as-a-Service model, the upfront investment for asset owners is low and the risk element is removed.

Enjoyed what you've read so far? Read the full article and the rest of the Summer issue of Energy Global by following the link or below, or why not register today for free!

For more news and technical articles from the global renewable industry, read the latest issue of Energy Global magazine.

Energy Global's Summer 2024 issue

The Summer 2024 issue of Energy Global starts with a guest comment from Terrawatt on the streamlining of the permitting process in Italy, before moving on to a regional report from Frost & Sullivan on the energy landscape in Asia Pacific. This issue looks at key topics such as wind installation vessels, offshore wind turbine foundations, weather analysis, solar maintenance, and more!

Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/special-reports/09082024/the-power-of-sea-state-monitoring/