Floating harbours

Challenge

The overall problem that this project will address is a lack of harbour capacity associated with the installation of offshore wind turbines in the coming years. The limitation of usable harbours will suffocate the optimal development and upscaling of the sector through increased costs for renting areas, as well as unnecessarily extended transport times of both sub- and main components.

Solution idea

This project’s idea consists of a floating harbour. Unlike existing harbours, it must be able to be placed close to wind turbine parks during construction. All sub-components will be delivered “just in time” and immediately thereafter undergo pre-assembly and load-out for the installation vessel. This will reduce the time spent per turbine installation drastically, as the installation ship will not have to act as a transport ship for main components.

The floating harbour will, by nature, be capable of being moved around to where it is immediately needed, therefore saving society from massive investments in local port facilities that will only be used temporarily, until the immediate area has been developed or expanded.

The project was financed by the Ministry of Research and Education.