MOP-ALFOWT is a multifunctional floating platform designed to help industrialise the construction of offshore wind turbines. On the 25th of October last, the project was awarded the Concept Prize as part of the Innovation 2023 Trophies at the Future Ports Conference, organised by CEREMA in Sète. The aim of these awards is to promote innovation in the port sector. Let’s look back at the origins of this project.
As part of the group’s “Transitions 2025” strategic plan, setec has identified the potential for engineering activity in the offshore wind energy market as part of the inter-company workshops organised as part of the “Decarbonised Energy” challenge. In particular, setec tpi was able to capitalise on some excellent references from studies carried out for the construction of floating structures (such as the Monaco floating seawall). Setec has recognised that one of the major challenges in achieving the development objectives for floating offshore wind farms in France and abroad is the availability of sufficient port capacity, given the sheer number and size of the structures to be built.
Setec has teamed up with Safier ingénierie, which holds the C2C patent, a concept for assembling concrete modules on water. They decided to co-develop two innovative industrial solutions. Firstly, an in-water assembly solution for prestressed concrete float elements for offshore wind turbines. An application has been submitted to ADEME to obtain funding for development. It was then decided to study a solution for increasing port capacity by means of a modular floating infrastructure made up of pre-stressed concrete caissons assembled on water. The project was named MOP-ALFOWT (Modular Offshore Platform – Assembly Line for Floating Offshore Wind Turbines).
A feasibility study for this platform was carried out this year and was validated at the end of September 2023 by the DNV, the certification body for maritime structures.
This project meets a number of technological challenges, that include:
– Eco-design of a basic pre-stressed concrete box capable of floating and replicability. Our work is guided by a constant concern for topological optimisation, in order to meet the challenge of using materials economically and producing low-carbon concrete;
– To study the assembly phase of two boxes, by developing an exoskeleton-type structure capable of aligning the boxes more easily in light swell conditions;
– To study the structural reinforcements required to recreate a monolithic structure after the boxes have been assembled.
There are many other technological challenges to be met over the next 5 years, which still require detailed studies, like testing in tanks and then in the marine environment.
In order to continue developing the MOP-ALFOWT platform, setec is currently seeking funding. The platform can be configured in a variety of ways depending on client requirements. The concept is of interest to many port managers, wind farm developers and shipbuilders in France and abroad.
With this project, the Group can make the most of their skills in civil engineering for complex structures, as well as in geotechnics, hydrodynamics, the environment and materials expertise. It is also an opportunity to demonstrate our ability to meet other needs expressed by the offshore wind energy market, which are not limited to the production of a port platform, but also to a multitude of technical studies on offshore structures, equipment issues, electrical substations, etc.
The Port of the Future 2023 Innovation Award is a great honour and a source of great pride for the team that worked on this innovative project. It is also a first step in the setec group’s ambition to respond more globally to the very significant technological challenges and engineering needs of offshore wind energy.
