Balmoral, a leading provider of innovative offshore solutions, has unveiled its groundbreaking HexDefence product, designed to offer a game-changing approach to mitigating scouring around jacket foundation wind turbines. Building upon the success of the HexDefence system for monopile structures, which integrates seabed protection and flow reduction to minimize operational costs and prevent cable failure, Balmoral's latest innovation is tailored specifically for jacket turbine foundations.
The HexDefence jacket system is poised to eliminate or significantly reduce the need for conventional, resource-intensive scour protection methods, such as rock dumping. What sets this innovation apart is its versatility and efficiency.
According to Dr. Aneel Gill, Product R&D Manager at Balmoral, “The jacket version of HexDefence represents a significant leap in scour protection, offering highly cost-effective performance enhancements across installation, management, and maintenance. This proprietary system eliminates the need for rock dumping, providing a non-invasive approach to safeguarding the jacket foundation and its immediate surroundings.”
One of the standout advantages of the HexDefence system is its potential to revive previously abandoned projects and locations that were considered unviable due to the sheer volume and size of rock required for traditional scour protection. Balmoral believes that its latest solution can render expensive and carbon-intensive practices obsolete, making previously financially unfeasible projects economically viable once more.
Bill Main, Managing Director of Balmoral, emphasized, “As part of our commitment to the local communities in which we operate, HexDefence will be produced in proximity to development sites. This strategic decision not only increases local content but also contributes to the overall sustainability of offshore wind projects by reducing environmental impact.”
The HexDefence system represents a significant leap forward in the offshore wind industry, addressing the critical challenge of scour protection in a manner that is both cost-effective and environmentally conscious. As offshore wind projects continue to expand, innovations like HexDefence are poised to play a pivotal role in reshaping the industry and promoting its sustainable growth.
