/power/renewable/2012/april/new-barges_designed.html?cmpid=EnlDailyPowerApri
l122012
New barges designed to suit needs of offshore wind industry
April 11, 2012
The renewable energy sector has seen dramatic growth in the past decade,
particularly wind power, but one of the primary limiting factors has been
the time and expense of installing these systems.
Bloomberg reports the offshore wind power sector could see a solution to
this problem with the introduction of new barges designed specifically to
meet the specific needs of the industry.
Traditionally offshore wind farms have relied on modified barges that were
initially designed to explore for oil, even at companies like A2Sea, a joint
venture between Siemens and Dong Energy, which is building the largest
approved offshore wind farm near London.
However, as demand for renewable energy has surged, Dong has begun
constructing ships specifically designed with wind farm construction in
mind, including features like movable legs to plant on the ocean floor,
greater capacity and improved ability to cope with sea swells.
"Having these vessels is the difference between being able to build the
projects that we're all looking at today and not," Paul Coffey, chief
operating officer of RWE's Innogy unit, told Bloomberg.
This development could prove particularly important in Europe, where wind
power is expected to employ 520,000 people by 2020, according to the
European Wind Energy Association.
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