Atkins to Help China Grow its Offshore Wind Capability
Monday 19 June 2017
Atkins has been appointed by PowerChina Huadong Engineering Co. Ltd (HDEC) to design the offshore substation platform at State Power Investment Corporation’s (SPIC) 300MW Binhai South Phase 3 offshore wind farm in the Yellow Sea. Working collaboratively with HDEC, Atkins will be part of helping China to grow a self-sustainable domestic offshore wind industry and to realise its renewables energy ambitions.
As one of the first British companies to work on a Chinese offshore wind farm, bringing a wealth of experience from its role in helping the European offshore wind industry to mature, Atkins’ scope covers ground engineering and structural work for the offshore substation topside and jacket foundation.
This design contract represents an opportunity for China to benefit from lessons learned and innovations that have helped drive the European offshore wind industry forward, enabling it to be more cost competitive with other forms or electricity generation.
Andy Thompson, Atkins’ market lead for offshore engineering, said: “This project is a tremendous opportunity for international collaboration that will benefit the evolution of offshore wind expertise and help ensure the industry continues to grow as a reliable source of energy. In line with our strategic ambitions to expand our offshore wind business into new areas, our first step into China working with SPIC and HDEC is an exciting one.”
South-east Asia has the potential to be a major growth market for offshore wind and there are some unique challenges that the ground engineering and foundation design pedigree in Atkins will be well placed to tackle. For example, the sea bed off China’s east coast (within 5-30m depth) is characteristic of soft, siltysoils which are different to soil conditions in Europe. Selecting appropriate foundations will therefore be crucial.
Using standardised components and drawing on a proven track record of designing more than a dozen offshore substation platforms in Europe, Atkins’ renewables team will aim to complete the project in half the time whilst ensuring the most rigorous safety standards are met in line with European and international codes.