Offshore Wind Accelerator: Improved turbulence estimate valuation (ITE) project

Calling for entries from companies and consortia interested in undertaking a study to investigate the relationship between TI, turbine loading and foundation costs, as well as TI estimation methods, including floating lidar, to accelerate the acceptance of novel TI estimation methods in the industry.

The relationship between turbulence, turbine loading, and turbine and foundation costs was investigated in the OWA 'Impact of turbulence on fatigue' (ITF) project, including:

  • Turbine cost sensitivity to: 
    ꟷ    5 MW and 7 MW turbine class (IIA, IIB and IIC); 
    ꟷ    Atmospheric stability; and 
    ꟷ    Wake effects, for 3, 7 and 12 rotor diameter (RD) turbine spacing.
  • Jacket cost sensitivity to turbine class and depth.

The OWA 'Floating lidar turbulence intensity' (FTI) project demonstrated that floating lidar systems (FLSs) under or over-estimate turbulence intensity (TI), depending on technology and environmental conditions. FLS suppliers are developing/offering novel TI measurement methods, including motion correction and machine learning algorithms, but there is no industry consensus on their acceptability, therefore the previous ITF work should be updated, to include:

  • Larger, current, and known future offshore turbines – 15 MW and 22 MW (versus 5 MW and 7 MW in the previous ITF work).
  • Floating foundations (not considered previously).
  • Novel methods of estimating free-stream turbulence (i.e., not using mast-mounted cup-anemometry).
  • Acceptance of these novel methods by turbine and foundation designers and certifiers.
  • Draw conclusions regarding the value and acceptability of emerging methods to improve free-stream TI measurement.

The main objectives of this work are to:

  • Update previous ITF work by investigating the relationship between free-stream turbulence, turbine and foundation loading, and turbine and foundation costs for a 15 MW turbine, with floating and fixed foundations, for various site conditions scenarios.
  • Determine acceptability of novel free-stream TI measurement methods to turbine and foundation designers and certifiers.
  • Develop a roadmap, to accelerate the acceptance of novel free-stream TI measurement methods.

The deadline for clarification questions: 22 May 2025

The closing date to receive tender submissions is 11 June 2025 16:00 (BST)

All clarification questions and tender submissions should be sent electronically, by their respective deadlines to tom.wishart@carbontrust.com, with maria.gonzalez-martin@carbontrust.com in copy.

Tender Documents