The chapter deals with the basic concepts of installation, operation and maintenance of offshore renewable energy systems. Whilst focus is given to the offshore wind industry, the extension to ocean energy (wave and tidal) offers a wider perspective on the major issues concerning the installation and maintenance. A reliability-based approach has been adopted for the analysis of the failures, providing an overview about the most common functional decomposition methodologies as well as logistic requirements for the different operations at the various stages of the lifetime of an offshore renewable project. The economic modelling of the operations, based on strategies for their planning, briefly completes the chapter.

Chapter Contents:

• 11.1 Introduction
• 11.1.1 Impact of installation, operation and maintenance activities in offshore renewable systems
• 11.1.2 Functional decomposition of offshore renewable systems
• 11.1.3 Concepts of reliability and failure analysis
• 11.2 Life cycle activities for offshore energy systems
• 11.2.1 Installation phase
• 11.2.1.1 Subsea power cable installation
• 11.2.1.2 Cable-to-cable connection
• 11.2.1.3 Offshore substation installation
• 11.2.1.4 Cable-to-device connection
• 11.2.1.5 Foundations
• 11.2.1.6 Mooring systems
• 11.2.1.7 Offshore renewable energy devices
• 11.2.2 Operation and maintenance phase
• 11.2.2.1 Inspection and monitoring
• 11.2.2.2 On-site interventions
• 11.2.2.3 Onshore interventions
• 11.2.3 Decommissioning phase
• 11.2.4 Vessels and equipment
• 11.3 Planning the operations
• 11.3.1 Strategies for planning the operations
• 11.3.2 Weather windows
• 11.3.3 Estimation of the delay time
• 11.3.4 Offshore standards and technical recommendations for operations
• 11.4 Economic modelling of installation, operation and maintenance
• References

Inspec keywords: wind power plants; power generation economics; power generation planning; offshore installations; renewable energy sources; logistics; maintenance engineering; tidal power stations; failure analysis; wave power plants; power generation reliability

Other keywords: failure analysis; wave energy; tidal energy; economic modelling; offshore wind industry; reliability-based approach; offshore renewable energy systems; ocean energy; offshore renewables maintenance; offshore renewables operation; functional decomposition methodologies; logistic requirements; offshore renewables installation; planning strategies

Subjects: Power system planning and layout; Other structures; Plant engineering, maintenance and safety; Tidal power stations and plants; Maintenance and reliability; Wave power; Wind power plants; Power system management, operation and economics; Reliability; Public utilities