Compare semi-submersible, spar and tension-leg substructure concepts against site water depth and metocean data.
Oil, Gas & Energy
Floating Offshore Wind Substructures, Dynamic Cables and Port Logistics
Covers floating substructure concept selection, dynamic cable and mooring design, and the port and marine logistics needed to assemble, tow and maintain floating wind arrays in deep water.
🗓️Duration5 training days
📚Content4 modules · 8 sessions
🎓On completionAccredited attendance certificate
About the programme
Course Overview
Floating wind moves offshore turbines into deep water sites where fixed monopiles are not viable, but it replaces a single well-understood foundation type with a menu of substructure concepts, dynamic cables that flex with every wave, and a marine logistics chain built around ports rather than jack-up vessels. This course works through the engineering and logistics decisions in the order a project team actually faces them: choosing between semi-submersible, spar and tension-leg concepts for a given water depth and metocean condition, specifying mooring lines and anchors that hold station through decades of cyclic loading, and designing dynamic inter-array and export cables that survive fatigue at the touchdown point and bend stiffener. Sessions then move to the shore side, examining what quayside load-out capacity, dry-dock or wet-storage assembly, and tow-to-site methods a port needs to support commercial-scale floating arrays, and how operations and maintenance shifts from vessel-based intervention to tow-to-port strategies for major component exchange. Case-style exercises use published concept comparisons and port readiness assessments so participants can benchmark a site or supply chain against current floating wind practice.
Expected Learning Outcomes
Specify mooring line materials, anchor types and layout patterns suited to a given seabed and loading condition.
Assess dynamic cable design at the touchdown point, bend stiffener and hang-off for fatigue and clearance risk.
Evaluate quayside load-out, dry-dock and wet-storage assembly methods against a port's existing infrastructure.
Plan tow-to-site installation sequencing, including weather windows and vessel requirements for wet tow operations.
Design an operations and maintenance strategy that uses tow-to-port for major component exchange where appropriate.
Assess a candidate port against floating wind readiness criteria and identify the upgrades needed to support an array.
Who Should Attend
Naval architects and marine engineers moving from fixed to floating wind projects
Port and harbour authorities assessing readiness to support floating wind assembly
Cable engineers specifying dynamic inter-array and export cable systems
Project developers scoping substructure and mooring concept selection studies
Marine logistics planners coordinating tow-to-site and installation vessel schedules
Operations and maintenance managers preparing floating asset intervention strategies
Course Modules
Select any module to see its sessions and points.
01Substructure Concept Selection for Deep Water Sites
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Semi-Submersible, Spar and Tension-Leg Platform Trade-Offs
- Compare hull stability, draft and fabrication complexity across semi-submersible, spar and tension-leg concepts.
- Match substructure type to site water depth, seabed conditions and available port draft for assembly and tow-out.
- Evaluate motion response characteristics that affect turbine loads, cable fatigue and crew transfer feasibility.
- Assess ballast and stability systems used to control trim and heel during tow-out and in-service operation.
Session 2Structural Design Loads and Fabrication Strategy
- Apply combined wind, wave and current loading to size hull structural members for fatigue and ultimate strength.
- Select steel, concrete or hybrid hull fabrication approaches based on series production volume and yard capability.
- Coordinate substructure design with turbine supplier interface loads and tower connection requirements.
- Plan corrosion protection and inspection access for hull compartments exposed to long-term marine immersion.
02Mooring and Dynamic Cable Engineering
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Mooring System Design for Station-Keeping
- Select catenary, taut or semi-taut mooring configurations based on water depth and seabed footprint constraints.
- Specify chain, wire rope and synthetic fibre rope combinations for line segments exposed to different loading regimes.
- Choose drag-embedment, suction pile or driven pile anchors appropriate to the geotechnical conditions at the site.
- Assess shared mooring and anchor-sharing layouts used to reduce seabed footprint in densely packed arrays.
Session 2Dynamic Cable Design and Fatigue Management
- Design cable configurations, including lazy wave and steep wave geometries, to decouple platform motion from the touchdown point.
- Specify bend stiffeners, bend restrictors and hang-off structures that protect cables at high-curvature locations.
- Model cable fatigue life against expected platform motion spectra over the project design life.
- Plan cable protection systems and burial or rock placement strategies at the seabed touchdown zone.
03Port Infrastructure and Assembly Readiness
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Quayside Load-Out and Assembly Method Selection
- Assess quayside bearing capacity, crane reach and laydown area required for turbine and substructure integration.
- Compare dry-dock, wet-storage and semi-submersible barge assembly methods against a port's existing facilities.
- Plan component staging sequences that keep turbine, tower and substructure assembly on a workable critical path.
- Identify infrastructure upgrades, including quay strengthening and channel dredging, needed for series production.
Session 2Tow-to-Site Installation and Marine Operations
- Sequence tow-out operations, tug requirements and weather window planning for wet tow to the installation site.
- Coordinate mooring pre-installation and hook-up procedures with the arrival of the towed substructure.
- Plan export and inter-array cable pull-in and termination activities within the offshore installation campaign.
- Design tow-to-port strategies for major component exchange that reduce reliance on offshore heavy-lift vessels.
04Operations, Maintenance and Supply Chain Readiness
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Operations and Maintenance Strategy for Floating Assets
- Design condition monitoring regimes covering mooring tension, cable fatigue and platform motion during operation.
- Plan routine maintenance access using crew transfer vessels against the motion limits of floating platforms.
- Develop decision criteria for choosing tow-to-port intervention over offshore repair for major component failure.
- Schedule mooring inspection and anchor integrity checks across the operating life of a floating array.
Session 2Supply Chain and Port Readiness Assessment
- Benchmark a candidate port against floating wind readiness criteria covering quay load, storage area and grid access.
- Map regional supply chain capability for mooring components, dynamic cables and substructure fabrication.
- Assess vessel availability, including anchor-handling tugs and cable-lay vessels, against project installation schedules.
- Identify contracting strategies that align substructure fabrication, mooring supply and installation logistics.
What the participant receives
4 course modules
A structured syllabus
8 training sessions
across 5 days
32 detailed points
Applied, detailed content
Accredited attendance certificate
On completing the programme
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