Project explores port to wind farm efficiency

OCTOPUS optimisation software will be used in the Horizon 2020-funded ATLANTIS project that ABB Marine & Ports has been selected as a key technology partner for. The project will explore the use of remote offshore inspection and maintenance techniques for wind farms. Optimised vessel missions will enable improved efficiencies by cutting the transfer times between land and wind farms, as well as by reducing the vessel waiting time and working time on-site.

“ATLANTIS is a unique project that promises to unlock new potential in the operation of offshore wind farms – the fastest-growing segment of the offshore industry,” said Dr. Andry Maykol Pinto, project coordinator, ATLANTIS. “Research projects like ATLANTIS are crucial to this industry’s ongoing development, and solutions like OCTOPUS allow stakeholders to leverage the benefits on an increasingly electric, digital and connected marine environment. Together, we will help the offshore wind market to cut costs while enhancing efficiency, sustainability and safety in inspection and maintenance operations.”

In addition to planning missions from port to wind farm, the new module of OCTOPUS will be taking into consideration the operational limitations of the ship and personnel, as well as assess deployment opportunities for remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs), unmanned surface vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles.

The ATLANTIS research project is being staged at two monitoring testbeds in the Atlantic Ocean – one off the coast of Viana do Castelo, Portugal, and the other further out to sea.