Successful applicants will be given an opportunity to pitch their innovation the OWA and its members, representing around 75% of the offshore wind farm operators in Europe. Selected solution(s) may be trialled at member sites, with the possibility of further adoption if trials are successful.

The Offshore Wind Accelerator (OWA) is Carbon Trust's flagship collaborative RD&amp;D programme. The initiative currently involves nine offshore wind developers; OWA partners account for around 75% of Europe&rsquo;s installed offshore wind capacity. Crew transfer vessels (CTVs) operating across multiple offshore wind farm sites are faced with different boat landing geometries at each respective site. This may result in a CTV not being able to access multiple sites without modifications to its bow fender configuration, which will impact the number of crew transfer operations that a CTV can safely undertake. As such, CTV operators are required to modify fender configurations for a respective site to allow them to safely push on against turbines to transfer personnel. If the crew of a CTV has to replace the fender when operating between sites, it may pose a health and safety risk, as well as an efficiency and cost issue. G+ health and safety incident data&nbsp; in the offshore wind sector highlights that a key area of focus for the industry to improve is turbine access. Where the transfer of personnel between the CTV and the boat landing on the turbine platform represents a main risk.

Background

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The OWA Logistics and Operations and Maintenance (O&amp;M) working group previously commissioned the Recommended Boat landing Geometry project to standardise boat landing geometries for offshore wind farms which are yet to be built. However, this does not address inconsistencies between sites which are currently operational. To address this issue, the working group wishes to explore the potential of adjustable fender solutions and their applicability to CTVs working for the offshore wind industry.&nbsp; This challenge aims to identify potential and market ready adaptable fender solutions which will allow CTV&rsquo;s to be able to operate at multiple wind farm sites without the need to modify the fender configuration between operations. Should a suitable vessel bow fender solution be found, it will be showcased to offshore wind site operators as well as vessel owners, representing a significant opportunity for the winning solution provider. Proposals are welcome for:
<ul>
<li>Existing market-ready technologies.</li>
<li>Development proposals to improve on market-ready capability.</li>
</ul>
Whilst not limiting the technologies from solution providers, it is expected that solutions would consider innovations from some of the following areas:
<ul>
<li>Maritime</li>
<li>Oil and Gas</li>
<li>Automotive</li>
<li>Aerospace</li>
<li>Infrastructure</li>
</ul>

Challenge

Following the competition deadline, all submissions will be reviewed and assessed by the OWA Logistics &amp; O&amp;M technical working group. Submissions that are chosen to be progressed forward will be offered the opportunity to present and pitch their respective fender innovation design in more detail as part of a one-day workshop event which will be attended by the OWA logistics &amp; O&amp;M technical working group, vessels owners/operators and industry bodies.&nbsp; The workshop event will enable innovators to maximise outreach in showcasing how their respective solution meets the needs set out by this challenge. It will also provide an opportunity for the relevant industry parties to understand how each of the innovations might fit into their respective operations. Subject to solution providers succeeding past the workshop, &pound;25,000 funding may be made available by the OWA. This is non-binding and may be distributed to one or among multiple solution providers.

Rewards & Benefits

The baseline for current turbine transfers is a &ldquo;push-on&rdquo; approach, utilising the boat landing fender tubes on the turbine platform (either side of the access ladder). The vessel&rsquo;s rubber bow fenders and forward propulsion to create friction and reduce movement so that the technician can transfer to the turbine ladders. Proposed solutions must provide versatility for CTV&rsquo;s to work across different sites that contain different boat landing geometries while enabling personnel transfer to be carried out safely. It is expected that an adaptable fender configuration would be safe and cost effective. Solutions should enable CTVs to operate in different boat landing geometries, while also maintaining a minimum safe distance (clearance zone) for individuals of 500 mm between the vessel bow fender and the boat landing ladder. This clearance requirement creates a safe zone, to eliminate the risk of crushing personnel, while providing a safe stepping distance of less than 650 mm, as shown in the diagram below extracted from the G+ working at height guidelines.&nbsp;

Functional Requirements

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The picture below demonstrates the challenges faced at sites when the vessel does not have a compatible fender arrangement meaning that the stepover gap that is greater than 650 mm, in order to be able to still complete a transfer the technician must lower a ramp to reduce the gap to the safe zone. This is however viewed as unsafe due to the potential to sever limbs (See background section).

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The stepover must also be between a non-slip surface on the vessel and the ladder rung, as per <a href="https://www.gplusoffshorewind.com/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/633556/Work-at-Height-Guidelines-2nd-Edition-B31jk-web-version.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">G+ working at height guidance</a>. A solution provider could seek to create an adaptable fender that adjusts to the geometry of a given turbine platform or propose an alternative method of bridging the gap to the safe zone without the use of an extendable ramp. Solutions should not attempt to change the turbine platform arrangement. Solutions are required on current operational wind farms now.

Solutions must provide a clearance zone and a maximum step size area in line with the G+ safety guidelines. An adaptable fender should provide a clearance zone of 500mm between the vessel and the ladder rungs of the boat landing area, and up to 650 mm from a non-slip step area from a CTV to the boat landing ladder. The fastening mechanism of the bow fender is not prescribed, however, systems enabling a safe installation in vessels would be prioritised. Similarly, the mechanical mode of operation of the bow fender, being it hydraulic, electric, pneumatic, is not limited.&nbsp;&nbsp; Presented solutions should, to the extent possible, provide a generic bow fender design that can be fitted to multiple existing vessels bow arrangements.&nbsp; CTVs typically have a:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>15-24m length</li>
<li>2-3m freeboard</li>
<li>30-100 tonne displacement (weight)</li>
<li>10-20 tonne payload</li>
<li>4-15 tonne bollard push</li>
</ul>

Technical Requirements

Presented solutions should provide as a minimum, an operation window matching currently existing vessel fender designs.

Operating Conditions

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Solutions must be able to be operated safely and reliably in offshore conditions of:
<ul>
<li>Up to 12m/s wind speeds</li>
<li>Significant wave heights (Hs) up to 2 metres (maximum wave height of approximately 4 metres)</li>
<li>Ambient temperatures of -10C to +40C&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Solutions will be deployed in the splash and spray zone around the vessel.

Launch of the Competition: 01/07/22 Deadline for applications: 09/09/22 Selection and notification of finalists: 23/09/22 Date of Pitch day: TBC Solutions should be fully deployable for prototype testing within 18-24 months of competition win. The shortlisted innovators will be notified that they have been progressed to the next stage and they will have the opportunity to present their concept at the workshop event. The workshop event will take place 4-5 weeks after the completion of the submission&rsquo;s reviews.

Deployment Timescale

The OWA members would like to support multiple concepts through the competition, however this would be dependent upon the number of entries and the quality of the submissions. Likely awards of funding would be as follows:&nbsp;&pound;~25,000 available to winner(s) This funding would be administered to innovator(s) to further develop their respective concept(s). Through taking this approach, the OWA can potentially support multiple innovators.

Cost Requirement & Market Opportunity

The solution must be able to be fitted to the bow of a CTV and should be designed to support technician transfer when pushing on. The proposed solutions should not use an alternative approach to help facilitate access e.g. solutions should not attempt to change the turbine platform arrangement.

Out of Scope

Submissions will be assessed on:
<ul>
<li>Concept relevance and potential for addressing the adaptable fender challenge area</li>
<li>Innovative nature of the respective concept</li>
<li>Coherence of the proposed business model</li>
<li>Feasibility/ economic viability of the proposed concept&nbsp;</li>
<li>Maturity and development potential of concept</li>
<li>Price</li>
<li>Suitability for the offshore wind sector&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
There will be no restriction to the entrants to the competition.&nbsp;

Eligibility & Assessment Criteria

<ul>
<li>Existing background IP associated with a potential solution will remain with Solution Provider(s). Where any new IP generation is envisaged, it will be subject to the mutual IP agreement of the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger. Any commercial deployment of a transferred solution or newly developed solution, through licensing, joint venture, partnership or direct investment, will be subject to the commercial agreement between the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger.</li>
<li>Where necessary, a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) may be signed to uphold confidentiality in the engagement between the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger. (This would be expected to be after company selection, it is suggested that details of IP be not disclosed, Focus on the outcomes of the technology proposed).</li>
<li>Innovate UK and KTN do not take any share of IP ownership or enter into commercial ventures through the iX programme.</li>
<li>Winner(s) from the competition who obtain funding from the OWA to finance the testing and or trial phases of their solutions will be subject to a contract with the OWA, whereby results obtained by innovators as a result of OWA funding will be shared with the Carbon Trust and the OWA royalty-free. Innovators will maintain ownership of their innovations and outputs unless an agreement is reached between innovator(s) and the OWA stating otherwise.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;

Adaptable Fender Development

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Opportunity

Challenge opens

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Background

This challenge is brought to you by:

Adaptable Fender Development