2020 Is the Year of the Jacket (Report)

Rystad Energy states that the global offshore wind projects set to start-up this year will make 2020 the year with the highest ever use of steel jacket foundations, a trend led by the UK.

A total of 258 turbines to be installed this year will have a jacket foundation, representing about 20% of all offshore turbines to be commissioned globally, the latest data shows.

In the UK, the East Anglia One project will comprise 102 turbines installed on jackets, representing the sole European project that will start-up in 2020 and use this technology, yet the world’s largest ever to use such foundations.

According to Rystad Energy, this increase in the usage of jacket foundations is an indication that European developers are increasingly pursuing waters deeper than 30m for offshore wind installations.

“The higher share of jacket foundations follows the trend of offshore wind farms being placed in deeper waters in more mature regions,” said Alexander Flotre, Rystad Energy’s Vice President & Product Manager Offshore Wind. “As shallow-water areas get more populated, countries that look to increase their offshore wind capacity must look to deeper waters.”

Rystad expects that at least 479 more turbines with jacket foundations are going to start-up in Europe between 2021 and 2025.

The global estimate for the period is of at least 1,083 turbines, including Europe, making it the second most popular ground-based foundation type after monopile.