DNV provides technical review for award winning wind industry project

The Pile Soil Analysis (PISA) Joint Industry Project (JIP) focused on developing an improved design methodology for laterally loaded monopiles.

Three key benefits:

  • Up to a 30% reduction in steel weight
  • A corresponding reduction in installation costs
  • Increased monopile suitability and structural integrity in deeper waters

About the companies
DNV worked with a variety of industry partners, including Ørsted, the Carbon Trust, SSE, Iberdrola, Statkraft, Equinor, Innogy, Van Oord, EDF, E.On, Vattenfall and GE Renewable Energy, and four academic institutions consisting of Imperial College London, University of Oxford, UCD Dublin and Norwegian Technical and Natural Sciences University (NTNU).

The industry challenge
The ever evolving and expanding offshore wind industry is facing two clear industry challenges relating to monopiles. Existing design methods for laterally loaded piles are no longer feasible for larger diameter and shorter length monopiles. Cost competition within the offshore wind industry has further spurred the need to innovate and a reduce costs.

DNV’s involvement in the JIP
DNV was a member of the Independent Technical Review Panel (ITRP) and served as a vital link between academia and the industry to ensure all research undertaken was of the highest quality and importance. The team reviewed project plans and execution of the work, as well as to participate in workshops with various project partners.

The benefits to the industry
DNV’s industry-leading advisory and certification expertise has helped offshore wind projects increase performance for over 30 years. During this project DNV’s expertise provided a direct link to the most relevant standards for design of monopile foundations used today. Furthermore, it ensured that the latest technology could be directly applied to the challenge.

I truly believe the Independent Technical Review Panel setup was a key success factor both in terms of very valuable concrete input to the project during its execution and for the industry ‘afterwards’ in terms of direct applicability of the methods. PISA [was] a flagship project within offshore wind that was executed in true collaborative spirit by the most brilliant minds.

  • Jesper Skov Gretlund
  • PISA Project Manager

The same setup is now being followed by other joint industry projects as a way to ensure the project addresses concerns and risks from certification bodies and other relevant parties, from the start. It is a simple but efficient way to ensure an unbiased overview of projects, adding valuable insight on the ambitions and content of the work as it develops.

  • Miguel Pacheco Andrade
  • PISA Technical Manager

More information about offshore soil mechanics