GBM Works secures funding for quiet foundation installation solution
GBM Works, which has developed
a method for quieter and faster installation of wind turbines at sea, has
received a subsidy of €1.8 million from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency
(RVO). This will enable a prototype to be built. The company is also participating
in a large offshore innovation project, in which various innovative installation
methods are being tested in practice.
Currently, the piles of wind turbines (so-called monopiles) are driven
into the seabed, which leads to noise pollution. Contractors therefore
often work with noise-reducing measures such as ‘bubble screens’.
GBM Works, a spin-off from Delft University of Technology, claims it has
developed a method for anchoring wind turbines in the seabed almost without
noise. A waterjet is used to liquefy the soil on the inside of the tube.
In combination with vibrating the pile, this removes the resistance and
the monopile sinks easily into the ground.
The new foundation method was tested last fall on the Maasvlakte. GBM Works
stated that in addition to a reduction in noise pollution, the patented
Jet-gun installation technology appears to work twice as deep and four
times as fast. It provides an accurate prediction of the desired depth,
speed and corresponding machine settings.
Founder and Director Ben Arntz: “In the coming years many wind turbines
will be placed at sea to achieve the EU climate targets. However, the construction
has an enormous impact on marine life. In particular, the noise under water
causes a lot of nuisance for the environment. With our technology, we not
only ensure that the environmental nuisance disappears, it also makes construction
faster and therefore cheaper.”
With funding, the GBM Works can further develop its silent and patented
installation method technically. The goal is a prototype that is able to
penetrate both hard clay and sandy soils.
GROW, a research programme in offshore wind aimed at quickening innovations,
has asked the spin-off to participate in the SIMOX project, in which several
innovative installation methods are being tested.
