Ulstein U-stern smart monopile installation on DP | Marine & Industrial Report

Ulstein U-stern smart monopile installation on DP

 

The offshore wind industry faces significant installation challenges with the increasing size of monopile foundations. With the patent-pending ULSTEIN U-STERN, we are introducing a safer, smarter, and more competitive ship design solution for transporting, upending, and installing large monopiles on DP.

The U-STERNTM, developed by Ulstein Design & Solutions B.V., enables longitudinal storage of monopiles and upending in the ship centre line. This allows the ship to head into the waves during the installation process, minimising ship motions and fuel consumption, while the U-STERN provides excellent shielding from the waves.

Combining the U-STERN with transverse and longitudinal skidding systems, offshore lifts for monopiles are eliminated, as the main crane is only used to support the upending and lowering of the foundation.

The U-STERN looks like a simple recess in the stern.
“But it is much more than that,” states Ko Stroo, Product Manager/Lead Naval Architect in Ulstein Design & Solutions BV.

“The shape and location of the recess are finely tuned with CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) and motion analysis to make it work in harmony with the crane and mission equipment.”

More than two years of R&D have enhanced our understanding of how to improve the dynamics associated with DP monopile installation. This has resulted in the U-STERN having significant benefits over ‘traditional’ monopile installation on the side of a vessel.

 

This article was originally published on Marine & Industrial Report newspaper Vol 45  No.3 Issue last June 30, 2023.

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