DNV, a renowned energy expert and assurance provider, has launched a new joint industry project (JIP) to increase the reliability of wind farms in earthquake-prone areas. The Alleviating Cyclone and Earthquake Challenges (ACE) JIP was the precursor to the ACE2 JIP and aimed to alleviate issues related to cyclones. The latest project aims to investigate geotechnical aspects, damping and liquefaction, seismic load analysis, jack-up installation vessels, and specific Japanese and Taiwanese requirements related to earthquakes.
The ACE2 JIP will update DNV’s recommended practice DNV-RP-0585 Seismic design for wind power plants with state-of-the-art knowledge and customer feedback. Kim Sandgaard-Mørk, the Executive Vice President for Renewables Certification at DNV, explained that offshore wind capacity in Asia and North America will surpass Europe in the 2030s and 2040s, respectively.
He said that wind turbines and offshore substations in the US and Asia need to be designed to withstand challenging conditions like earthquakes, and the collaborative effort of the industry will ensure the financial robustness of future wind farms in earthquake zones.
Marcus Klose, the Head of Section Steel Structures at DNV, said that the project’s focus will be on the conditions in Japan, which has ambitious government targets to install 10 GW of offshore wind by 2030. Japan has the sixth-longest coastline globally, and therefore, typhoons, earthquakes, and tsunami risks should be given special attention in the project design life cycle. Klose expressed his delight in having world-class experts from Japan and other companies at the kick-off meeting.
The following companies participated in the kick-off meeting: CDEE, Equinor, Jan de Null, Kajima, Obayashi, Ørsted, Penta-Ocean, Shell, Shimizu, Siemens Gamesa, Taisei, Van Oord, and Vestas. This collaborative effort by the industry will accelerate discussions and project decisions in all relevant markets.
In the words of Marcus Klose, “It is great to have world-class experts gathered around the table to tackle one common industry challenge.”
