Rapid Buildout Underlines Urgent Need to Standardise
By Liesl Venter
Breakbulk Europe 2023: As the global demand for renewable energy surges, the wind sector has emerged as a vital player in meeting ambitious clean energy targets.
However, the rapid expansion of wind projects and the increasing complexity of their operations have highlighted the pressing need for standardisation within the industry. The key takeaway from the panel discussion at Breakbulk Europe, which centred on managing the booming offshore wind industry, was that a unified approach is essential.
Moderated by Betina Holst Nørgaard, senior manager at Deloitte Consulting Denmark, the panellists agreed that the exponential growth of both onshore and offshore wind projects, projected to intensify in the coming years, necessitates streamlining processes, harmonising practices and maximising efficiency.
In addition, the sector can effectively address maintenance, grid integration and project scalability challenges by implementing adequate standardisation measures.
“The current global deployment of offshore wind stands at approximately 60 gigawatts,” Nørgaard said. “With global targets set at 2,000 gigawatts by 2050, there is a pressing need to increase capacity to meet these ambitious goals substantially. We must not overlook the rapid growth of the onshore wind sector as well.”
She said it was necessary for the industry to work together to determine how to scale up supply chains to meet the ever-growing demand.
According to Alain Akavi, managing director of COLI Shipping, the size of the equipment was critical to the discussion around managing the wind boom. “We are facing a dual challenge in the industry,” he said.
“Firstly, the vessels available need to be increased to accommodate the growing size of cargo, which continues to increase in scale. Secondly, the chosen ports along trade routes need more infrastructure to handle these oversized components effectively. The existing quays are not adequately robust, and many ports lack the required depth for vessels to berth safely.”
He said shipping blades 180 metres long were already problematic, and enquiries were coming for even more significant pieces. “With money, one can solve just about any problem, but as an industry, we need to standardise not just the rules and regulations around the wind sector but also the size of equipment if we want to transport economically, safely and efficiently.”
Long-term planning was another element highlighted in the panel. “There has to be a limit around these components to allow for long-term port and vessel planning,” said Thomas Sender Mehl, senior vice president of global supply chain at CakeBoxx Technologies.
Panellists Armin Seidel, area sales manager of heavy lift ship and offshore cranes at Liebherr, David Molenaar, managing director at Siemens Gamesa, and Katherine Phillips, managing director at ABL, all agreed it was time for the industry to come together, working collaboratively towards solutions making long-term commitments that would ensure not only the right equipment was being manufactured and transported but also the necessary investment sourced.
Check out our post-session interviews with speakers:
