Which eco-maintenance for renewable energy? A simulation model for optimising the choice of offshore wind farm maintenance vessel

Abstract

In this paper the concept of eco-maintenance is presented. The concept aims to improve lifetime while minimising environmental impact over the entire life cycle to ensure maximum performance. Offshore wind farms are subjected to severe weather conditions, which limits the vessels capabilities to access the wind farms. The interest of this paper is the investigation of the optimal maintenance strategy for different offshore wind farms. This objective is achieved by implementing a simulation model which includes, weather and failure analysis as well as operation and maintenance. This paper shows how different maintenance strategies can influence the environmental performance of a wind farm.