Wind Energy Update: Ecofys’ Trident offshore windfarm construction manager software was used for the first time on the Belwind project. Can you describe how it works?

Bob Meijer: Ecofys has had extensive project management experience in developing offshore wind farms over the years – we’ve been involved with Princess Amalia, Sheringham Shoal, and Albatross to name a few – and we have incorporated our experience into this tool.

The Trident project management tool contains geographical information and construction planning information, including the real time movement of vessels throughout the wind farm. The tool includes the flow of installation, commissioning, and inspections that need to be done.

Wind Energy Update: Are any similar tools currently available in the marketplace, or is this a first? 

Bob Meijer: We believe we are unique. The reason is we combine space & time dimensions. The GIS presentation layer provides the interactive maps and the planning engine delivers the time planning for the construction.

The systems covers the past (maintains a log of all status changes, events, shipping movements); the present (real time view of the site, including people working, vessels, weather data); and the future, planning for any number of days ahead.

There are other products on the market that do time planning. There are GIS systems that show maps of a project. But the combination we provide with real time data is, in our view, unique.

Wind Energy Update: Where can the real cost savings be achieved by using such a tool?

Bob Meijer: The tool enables project managers to look ahead and avoid planning clashes – which can avoid a lot of unnecessary delays and cost. When you consider that installation vessel costs hundred of thousands of Euros per day, the product pays back rapidly.

WindEnergyUpdate: What other advantages does the tool have and which parties can benefit from its use?

Bob Meijer: Third parties involved in the wind farm development can be given limited access of information on certain aspects of the project. For example, the Zeebrugge port authorities were granted limited access. In this regard it can be useful as a stakeholder engagement tool.

Wind Energy Update: Ecofys is offering a free 3-month trial of this planning tool. How many companies are currently using it and what has the feedback been like so far?

Bob Meijer: We have over 20 potential customers running trials with the system. Feed back is always positive. Many of these projects are not yet in the stage where construction starts. This is of course the moment real use of Trident would start.

We have over 20 potential customers running trials with the system. Feed back is always positive. Many of these projects are not yet in the stage where construction starts. This is of course the moment real use of Trident would start.

Wind Energy Update: The Belwind project boasts being “the fastest offshore wind development in the world”. How was this achieved?

Bob Meijer: The concession was granted in 2008 and to construct the wind farm within 2-3 years of the concession being granted is very fast. How did we do it? For starters, we had such a good team. Also, when the project was owned by Econcern, Ecofys ran a large part of the project. When you have one owner, the project is a lot more dynamic that when a consortium of companies is involved.

The permitting process in Belgium is also very different to that in the UK and Germany, which also helped speed the project.

WindEnergyUpdate: The Belwind offshore wind farm is located 46 km off the coast of Belgium. At the design stage, what main project development challenges were identified for such a far shore project?

Bob Meijer: It is more expensive to construct further off shore, and the construction risk goes up. Also, operations and maintenance costs are higher, given the travel time to site. For very remote wind farms (not the case for Belwind) this can sometimes exceed the workable time for carrying out maintenance on the site.

To respond to this article, please write to the editor: Rikki Stancich

Image credit: Ecofys