Safe anchorage
What is a FLOW-Park Safe Anchorage?
A floating wind Safe Anchorage is an offshore location that has been carefully assessed & selected as a suitable location specifically & exclusively for the temporary storage or ‘parking’ of floating wind foundations or complete units (Floating Offshore Wind Turbines or FOWTs). This location is then developed, operationally configured and managed to provide a SAFE location with pre-installed moorings & anchors. An ANCHORAGE, that is in full compliance with all required regulations, consents & permissions and in line with industry best practice for safety, security, and risk management during operations.
We use the terminology ‘Safe Anchorage’ rather than the industry term ‘wet storage’ as it more accurate reflects the paramount need for safety, however the following terms are also used across the industry: ‘temporary storage’, ‘offshore storage’, ‘offshore parking’, ’inshore anchorage’, and ‘offshore anchorage’
Why do you need Safe Anchorage?
Floating wind projects involve a large quantity (>50 per GW) of physically very large (c. 100m x 100m & 10kTe), complex, (unmanned, unpowered,) and high valuable floating units. The construction process of assembly, integration and installation involves multiple ports & construction yards, a complex supply chain and the use of specialist vessels and equipment to move and undertake key activities.
The physical scale and quantity present new and unique industry challenges including:
Safe Anchorages optimise risk management & logistics during the construction of floating offshore wind farms.
These primary challenges create a number of direct & indirect risks, operational challenges and make conventional logistics in-efficient.
A FLOW-Park Safe anchorage is an enabling facility to support the delivery of large-scale floating wind projects by providing the buffer storage capacity to optimise logistics, manage risks and constraints, therefore adding value and providing cost certainty.
Safe Anchorage Rationale
Manage constraints & risks
Optimise logistics & reduce costs
How critical is Safe Anchorage?
Safe Anchorage (‘wet storage’) has been recognised as a critical risk to the successful on-time execution of floating wind projects by Government and industry over many years.
- The UK Government Department of Energy Security & Net Zero (DES&NZ) have specifically recognised Safe Anchorage (wet storage) as a qualifying investment for CfD AR7 Clean Industry Bonus (Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 7 CIB Allocation Framework)
- Trade body Renewable UK study Floating Offshore Wind Taskforce: Industry Roadmap 2040 notes the Safe Anchorage (wet storage) need for the UK to support projects and port development
- The Crown Estate’s Celtic Sea Blueprint specifically noted the requirement for multiple Safe Anchorage (wet storage) locations to optimise delivery
- SOWEC has maintained Safe Anchorage (wet storage) capabilities within its Strategic Investment Model since its inception in 2022. (see below)
“Scotland’s Strategic Investment Model (SIM) Group, recognise the importance of Offshore Solutions Group – temporary offshore storage [Safe Anchorage] to Scotland’s offshore wind industry…and is identified as a strategically important project”
The Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council (SOWEC) SIM Group comprises Scottish Government, Crown Estate Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands & Islands Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise, #26 Scottish wind farm projects and is supported by The Crown Estate, National Wealth Fund, UK Government and the Department of Trade & Industry.
Where will Safe Anchorage be located?
To accurately identify potential Safe Anchorage locations, our expert team worked closely with industry, ports and regulators for almost a year creating a Safe Anchorage specific 33-point location evaluation & assessment process (called TS-FLOW).
The TS-FLOW 33-point comprehensive location evaluation & assessment process covers regulatory, operational, environmental, spatial and practical considerations, constraints and sensitivities including but not limited to weather protection, metocean conditions, water depth, spatial limitations, other technical, marine and environmental constraints & considerations (avian, fauna, fish, seabed etc.), visual impact, competing maritime use, logistics, interference (radar, aviation etc.), navigation etc.
We then spent a further 3 years to completing a unique comprehensive survey of the entire UK coastline and a detailed assessment, using the TS-FLOW process, of over 200 potential locations to identify the best and most suitable locations.
We now have a short-list of potential locations and are working closely with Governments, industry, regulators, ports and partners to progress potential locations through a phased and considerate development process.
We call each potential Safe Anchorage development, a ‘FLOW-Park’, and updates and progress on these can be found here [insert link to FLOW-Parks web page]
How will Safe Anchorage be delivered and what will it look like?
A FLOW-Park Safe Anchorage will be delivered over several years using a phased and considered process to ensure that it meets all the necessary regulatory, environmental, stakeholder, technical and operational requirements & obligations expected of any new critical infrastructure project.
As the UK’s only independent Developer of Safe Anchorage we continue to work closely with Governments, regulators, industry and specialists (technical, legal, environmental etc.) to ensure it delivers timely support to ports, yards and industry in a manner that ensures long-term value generation for its neighbouring communities.
At the appropriate time in the development process, additional stakeholders will be added to the industry and public consultation process.
New processes and operating systems are being developed, built on industry best practice, to ensure operational safety & compliance with all applicable regulations but also with full respect to the needs and interests of all stakeholders, safety, security and the environment.
An operational FLOW-Park has two main elements, a local onshore base (FLOW-Base) and the nearshore ‘parking’ location. The local FLOW-base provides 24/7/365 security & safety management as well as a small operations & maintenance facility. This will be located within one of the neighbouring ports or harbours and be permanently staffed. This facility also provides the coordination centre with local suppliers, vessels owners and harbourmasters etc. to maximise local engagement and delivery.
Close-up visualisation of a potential FLOW-Park Safe Anchorage
The FLOW-Park Safe Anchorage primary period of use is during the winter months when foundations are being assembled in a local port/yard and need to be ‘parked’ ready for movement to the separate integration port/yard. When not being used the FLOW-Park Safe anchorage will only be visible as a small number of buoys providing maritime safety around the pre-installed anchors & moorings systems. The Safety & Security buoys will also provide environmental monitoring to aid offshore research and even an emergency support capability for maritime users in distress (emergency comms etc.).
When storing FLOW assets during the winter months these will be visible with navigation lights and necessary safety & security lighting only. The exact number of FLOW-assets present will vary during the seasons of the year and in relation to the projects it is supporting. Most FLOW-assets are currently planned to be installed offshore during the spring and summer months as the weather and metocean conditions allow.
For other maritime users the FLOW-Park will be noted on all appropriate maps and navigations charts and a direct connection with the local base can be made to ascertain any updated or potential risk to other offshore activities.
The highly developed and unique FLOW-Park Management & Control System ensures the safety & security of the FLOW-Park, whilst meeting all regulatory & legal requirements and operating with respect to local stakeholders and other users of the sea.
Will it support local communities?
A FLOW-Park Safe Anchorage is a critical part of the wider delivery infrastructure for floating wind. It also has several characteristics in design and operations that deliver enhanced value to local communities. To reinforce this the FLOW-Park operating model is rooted in local delivery.
- 1Every FLOW-Park has a local onshore FLOW-base providing long-term high value local employment and acting as the coordination centre for local suppliers and vessel owners to maximise local supply value
- 2During its development and construction phases, FLOW-Parks and their contractors will employ local personnel where possible so that it can capture local knowledge and experience whilst maximising local value
- 3During the short construction phase of the FLOW-Park, the nature of anchors and mooring equipment will provide service and supply opportunities for local businesses.
- 4Each FLOW-Park is run independently of wind farm Developers and is a local service provided by local personnel with the support of local companies and suppliers.
An independent study carried out by a specialist consultancy has determined that a FLOW-Park Safe Anchorage can, over its lifetime, provide a GVA value of c. £126m with c. 60% delivered locally and support c 1,655 UK full time jobs.