ABS releases comprehensive guide for floating offshore wind turbines

Based on the results of case studies and existing technologies, the new guide provides criteria for the design, construction, installation and survey of permanently sited floating offshore wind turbines and includes specific guidelines for areas subject to cyclonic storms. The guide addresses the floating support structure, the stationkeeping system, and onboard machinery, equipment and systems that are not part of the turbine rotor-nacelle assembly.
The design environmental conditions and design load cases specified in the guide were determined on the basis of International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61400-3 standards in conjunction with a number of revisions and refinements to address the uniqueness of floating offshore wind turbines. The site-specific design is directly reflected in the definition of the design load cases, and the effects of tropical hurricane conditions were one of the main considerations in the calibration studies, according to ABS.