Join your peers for the next G-I Houston Chapter Luncheon Technical Session:

Anchor Selection for Floating Renewable Energy Systems

Up to 70% of offshore wind power development worldwide is expected to take place in water depths too deep for fixed-bottom structures; floating offshore wind turbines will ultimately comprise a major portion of wind power development. Energy from this source is estimated at 2.8 terawatts or more than two times present U.S. energy consumption. Two categories of hurdles to developing this resource exist. The first is cost, where 70% reductions are needed to make this source of energy economically viable. The second category is the limited capability of existing infrastructure needed to support wind farm development, such as fabrication facilities, ports, and transport/installation vessels. Costs for fabrication and installation of anchors for floating energy systems are on the order of 15% of the total capital costs; therefore, economical anchor designs are an important part of the solution. This presentation provides an overview of the nature of mooring line loads acting on anchors in renewable energy systems, types of anchors that may be considered, and constraints imposed by seabed soil conditions. Finally, innovations needed to overcome the techno-economic hurdles mentioned above are discussed.