Case Studies

Development of Maintenance Program for the World’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm

Teams collaborate to set benchmark at Dogger Bank A site.

Industry

Renewable Energy

Year

2023-2024

Region

Europe & Middle East

Solutions

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Overview

Oceaneering was contracted to complete the comprehensive maintenance scope for the Dogger Bank A offshore wind development in the North Sea.

The yearlong project, running from January 2023 to the start of 2024 focused on establishing a robust maintenance program for the first phase of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm development, the largest of its type in the world. Working closely with the site’s operations and maintenance and technical integrity teams, our maintenance and reliability engineers focused on developing a program to ensure the operational efficiency, safety, and longevity of the site’s 95 turbines, offshore substation (OSS), onshore converter substation, and inter-array and export cables.

The Oceaneering Solution

The Oceaneering team completed a detailed review and strategy assessment of all maintainable components of the Dogger Bank A development. They then developed a thorough and optimized maintenance program that combined the selected strategies and preferences while incorporating each assets’ original equipment manufacturer (OEM) maintenance requirements.

This project marked the first offshore wind related maintenance program development scope for the team and leveraged decades of experience working with stringent oil and gas requirements to overcome the challenges of an emerging market.

  • Developing the maintenance to meet existing warranties and service contracts.
  • Creating strategies for unmanned assets and in accordance with LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations) requirements.
  • Optimizing maintenance intervals with maritime logistics and scheduling as a focus.
  • Identifying safety barriers and assigning safety critical maintenance per specified technical requirements.

The maintenance program was integrated into the wind farm’s Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS), SAP. This integration enabled planners to create work orders for execution by technicians, optimizing the deployment of maintenance personnel to address all necessary tasks in the fewest trips possible.

Results

The maintenance program's thoroughness, focusing on safety, efficiency, risk mitigation, and compliance, not only met the immediate operational needs but also set a precedent for the maintenance programs of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm’s subsequent phases.

The project:

  • Established a repeatable and scalable maintenance framework developed to the highest industry standards.
  • Enhanced the operator’s capability to make informed decisions on the continuation with maintenance or warranty providers.
  • Provided a comprehensive record of data related to warranty items, facilitating effective maintenance and repair programs.
  • Increased operational uptime and ensured the safety of assets and personnel through optimized offshore logistics and planning.

Effective collaboration and strategic planning delivered a maintenance program fit for the world’s largest offshore wind development, setting a standard for future offshore wind projects. The operator’s engagement with the Oceaneering team was pivotal to the successful development of the programs and set a solid foundation for using operational data to further optimize the site’s maintenance in the future.

Dogger Bank Wind Farm is a joint venture partnership between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%), and Vårgrønn (20%). SSE Renewables is leading the development and construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm, and Equinor will operate the wind farm on completion and during its expected operational life of around 35 years. Vårgrønn brings specialist offshore wind expertise to the project.

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