Question Time with Mark Riemers - Managing Director of SPT Offshore

Mark Riemers, Managing Director of SPT Offshore, gives insight into his company’s work and the challenges and benefits involved with self-installing wind turbines.

What is SPT Offshore’s specialty?  

We are an offshore contractor specialised in suction pile foundations/anchors and self installing platforms. See for details http://www.sptoffshore.com/

You’re currently working on a project involving self installing wind turbines - Which situations are these systems suited for?  

The SIWT concept is suited for 99% wind farms in deeper water, say starting at 20m up to 60m and for the larger turbines say 5MW and bigger. The suction piles are suited for most soil conditions (99% in the North Sea and Irish Sea), i.e. in sands, clays, layered soils, etc. 

What are the greatest challenges in such systems?  

We have a wide experience in oil and gas where we have successfully designed, fabricated (in most case) and installed >400 suction piles in shallow (5m) up to very deep waters (1,200m). The Offshore Renewable business is, however, still slow in adopting our technology, because of the lack of knowledge around suction piles. We are working hard to make the technology also accepted for this sector and we will be successful sooner or later. 

What are the benefits?  

No noise underwater, plus no special offshore construction equipment (crane vessels and jack-ups) is needed for installation, just a flat barge, tugs, suction pumps and jacks are needed and obviously land cranes to assemble the SIWT in the harbour. We therefore incur fewer weather risks as our ONE piece foundation and WTG installation requires limited work offshore compared to the traditional techniques. 

When do you see offshore wind turbines becoming economically viable? What does the future have in store?  

In 5-10 years, I see that subsidies will no longer be required.  

Mark Riemers will speak about "Self Installing Wind Turbine (SIWT): An innovative foundation concept for wind turbines" at the IQPC Conference Offshore Foundations for Wind Turbines.  Find more information here.

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