In an industry first, ABS has published requirements addressing safety and technical standards for floating offshore wind substations.
Together with input from offshore wind project developers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of substations, and transportation and installation (T&I) companies, ABS developed the Requirements for Offshore Substations and Electrical Service Platforms which addresses not only fixed bottom substations but also includes new information for the rapidly increasing project size of global floating projects.
Floating offshore wind projects worldwide have been ramping up. Since 2022, new projects have been awarded and others are advancing along the waters of Scotland, Korea and the U.S. West Coast. Existing projects are entering advanced design stages, many with aggressive timelines as regions become more focused on energy security.
ABS certified the first U.S. offshore wind project in Orsted's Block Island. Worldwide, ABS certified the first semisubmersible floating offshore wind turbine, WindFloat I; classed the world's largest floating wind turbine at the time of installation with Windfloat Atlantic developed and operated by Ocean Winds; classed Kincardine, the world’s largest grid-connected floating offshore wind farm; and performed statutory reviews on behalf of International Registries Inc. (IRI) for Kincardine.