Offshore wind installation tech promises to change logistics game, cut reliance on deep-water ports

A potentially game-changing offshore wind turbine installation solution is set to make its way to Australia with help from New South Wales-based renewable energy services company Energy Estate.

Billed as a next-generation offshore wind installation solution capable of addressing critical installation bottlenecks and accelerating offshore wind deployment in the region, Feederdock was developed by Hamburg-based ONP Management and Boston-based Renewable Resources International.

Feederdock is not one single technology, but several adaptations of existing technologies, designed to deliver a 30 to 50 per cent productivity advantage to offshore wind construction, and capable of installing turbines in excess of 25 megawatts (MW) and foundations weighing in at 2,800 tonnes.

The central innovation of Feederdock is splitting offshore wind installation across two vessels – a heavy-lift jack-up vessel and smaller, shallow-draught feeder vessels that are able to dock within the larger jack-up vessel, hence “Feederdock”.

As can be seen in the visualisation above, the jack-up vessel looks a little like a catamaran and carries a crane with a lifting capacity of up to 3,200 tonnes. As the workhorse of the installation process – carrying its retractable legs and crane – all heavy-lift jack-up vessels boast a significant draught which require deep-water ports.

Traditional offshore wind installation vessels must also generally carry the components they are about to install, increasing its weight and thus its draught, the vertical distance between the waterline and the keel, which determines the minimum water depth needed for safe navigation.

However, Feederdock splits these requirements, meaning that the larger heavy-lift jack-up vessel never needs to make port to collect the offshore wind components, leaving that job for the smaller shallow-draught feeder vessels.

As a result, offshore wind farms are less reliant on being built near deep-water ports, removing one of the constraints on offshore wind deployment. These feeder vessels also minimise the need for costly upgrades at ports with infrastructure constraints that would otherwise invalidate their use as a supply location.

“Feederdock has been developed precisely for markets like Australia – it removes the need to rely on rare deepwater, heavy lift ports and gives developers a bankable pathway to deliver their first projects,” said Frank Witte, Feederdock project director at ONP Management.

Feederdock is also expected to shorten construction schedules, delivering further cost savings for offshore wind energy projects.

The technology solution has been developed by ONP Management, in partnership with Renewable Resources International in the US. Development, design funding and execution are backed by “a leading US based private equity firm” the companies described only as “focused on the global energy transition.”

Australian renewables outfit Energy Estate has been appointed as exclusive advisor to the project developers, supporting Feederdock’s entry into the Australian and New Zealand offshore wind markets.

The installation solution has already secured full Basic Design Approval from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and its patented design is protected by intellectual property rights.

“Feederdock is our answer to the availability of installation vessels challenge, giving Australian projects a dedicated, future‑proof solution for the region, that is not hostage to international vessel scarcity anticipated from 2030 onwards,” said Mark Richards, commercial director at Energy Estate.

“A successful offshore wind industry needs an ecosystem to thrive, not just projects.” 

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