Fair Winds Drive Knud E. Hansen A/S Forward
The long established Danish naval architecture and marine engineering consultancy, Knud E. Hansen A/S (KEH) is again setting sail with fair winds in the offshore wind energy sector. Recently, Swire Blue Ocean ordered a second deep-water turbine installation vessel, to be built by Samsung Heavy Industries in Korea to a KEH design. These six leg DP2 jack-up vessels are the most capable design ever commissioned.
Soaring 22 m above the water surface in up to 75 m water depth, the vessel’s capabilities exceed current and planned wind farm water depths, anticipating the needs of future installations and opening up countless possibilities for wind farm locations. The company also recently secured ongoing involvement in the Anholt Offshore Wind Farm project off the Danish coast with long term client MT Højgaard A/S. KEH involvement includes project management, operational & installation procedures and engineering support.
Securing Patents
Furthermore KEH is at present securing patents for a least two designs within the offshore wind energy sector. The first, related to safe and sustained access to offshore turbine foundations in rough weather. This novel solution is set to dramatically increase safety and operational windows for servicing of offshore wind farms.
The second is a complete offshore maintenance vessel solution capable of servicing multiple installations simultaneously. This highly versatile vessel is capable of operating independently for long periods of time in highly challenging conditions.
Forefront
These are just some of the many projects involving KEH in the offshore wind farm sector. The company has heavily invested in design and analysis tools specifically needed to be at the cutting edge in this field. KEH was one of the first to produce dedicated designs for the installation and maintenance of green offshore wind energy technology. These current projects ensure that KEH will continue to stay at the forefront of offshore wind farm installation and maintenance design and technology.