United Kingdom

United Kingdom

Universal Foundation completes installation test

UK: The Fred Olsen-owned Universal Foundation has completed the installation its prototype bucket foundation at three North Sea projects.

The Universal Foundation combines benefits of a gravity-base foundation, a monopile and a suction bucket
The Universal Foundation combines benefits of a gravity-base foundation, a monopile and a suction bucket

Universal Foundation has installed a scale model of the bucket-style design at the Dogger Bank, Hornsea and Dudgeon projects.

The programme is part of the UK's Carbon Trust's Offshore Wind Accelerator (OWA) programme and is being supported by Statoil, Statkraft, Eon, Dong Energy, and the Aalborg University in Denmark.

The Carbon Trust said the testing process involved installing the foundation alongside a standard suction anchor - used as a reference. They were then removed and taken to a new site.

Over the 24-day campaign, the two types of foundation were installed a total of 28 occasions. The testing was conducted on a variety of soil types.

Universal Foundation project manager Lars Kjuul Kristensen said results of the trial should be available in early 2015.

The foundation has previously been used at Dogger Bank supporting two met masts.

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