Offshore Wind Operational Report 2020 - Crown Estate

08Offshore wind operational report 2020Offshore wind assetsOffshore wind assetsThe UK offshore wind industry continuesto grow and in 2020 a new milestonewas reached with over 3,000 turbinesin operation or under construction(76% and 24% respectively), across48 offshore wind farms.The annual capacity of grid connectedwind turbines in the UK is illustratedin figure 7 which highlights that theindustry has, on average, added around1GW of capacity per year over the lastfive years. During 2020, East AngliaONE became fully operational andcontributed an increase of 0.7GW ingenerating capacity, 0.3GW of whichwas grid connected at the end of 2019.This additional 0.4GW was 15% of thenew capacity added across Europe, asseen on figure 3 on page 4. While theconstruction rate during 2020 fell incomparison to previous years, it wasa significant year of preparation andplanning, with seabed and onshorecivil works commencing at a numberof sites (as shown in figure 6). Thisis in preparation for what will be anextremely busy and significant periodof construction over the next few years.The pipeline of capacity currently underconstruction amounts to almost 70%of the existing operational fleet.In recent years wind turbine capacityhas increased significantly, andduring 2020, Dogger Bank wind farmconfirmed that GE would be supplyingtheir 13MW Haliade-X turbine modelsfor deployment at phases A and Bof Dogger Bank Wind Farm. Thereis a possibility that a 14MW versionwill be used on Phase C which wouldbe double the 7MW turbine capacityrecently installed at East Anglia ONE.09Offshore wind operational report 2020Offshore wind assetsFigure 6: Assetactivity in 2020Figure 7: GW UK offshore wind grid connected(change from previous year)Wind farms whichhave achieved FinalInvestment DecisionDecember20155.1GWDecember20165.1GW (0GW)December20176.9GW (1.8GW)December20187.9GW (1.0GW)December201910.0GW (2.1GW)December202010.4GW (0.4GW)Dogger Bank ADogger Bank BSeagreenWind farms startingonshore constructionDogger Bank ADogger Bank BSeagreenWind farms startingoffshore constructionHornsea 2Neart na Gaoithe0Triton KnollWind farms underconstructionDogger Bank A24681012Pacific Orca wind farminstallation and repair vesselFigure 8: UK offshore windassets as at 31 December 2020Dogger Bank BEast Anglia ONEHornsea 2KincardineMoray EastNeart na GaoitheTriton KnollWind farms whichbecame fully operationalEast Anglia ONETurbines at seaOperational:Under 1407.271911180817.63,01044941148* sites having reached Final Investment Decision and those under construction including partially operating sites.

10Offshore wind operational report 2020Health and safety11Offshore wind operational report 2020Health and safetyHealth and safetyHere we report on the latest health andsafety data from G the global healthand safety organisation for the offshoreindustry. Our aim is to provide the bestsupport we can to improve performanceof offshore wind health and safetythrough active engagement with ourstakeholders and encouraging activeliaison with G . G reports 123 injuriesin 2019* compared to 2018 which isan increase of 1.29%. Overall, therehas been a decline in number of injuriesover the last 6 years. 2019 also sawa 4.24% increase in the total numberof injuries, which led to an increase in theglobal Lost Time Injury Frequency (LTIF **)and Total Recordable Injury Rate (TRIR ***).This was largely due to an increase inthe number of ‘lost workday’ injuries.In contrast, the number of ‘restrictedwork day’ and ‘medical treatment’ injuriesreduced by 32% and 15% respectively,and there were no fatalities across bothperiods, as shown in figure 9.Burbo Bank offshore wind farmOf the 633 incidents thatoccurred in the UK, 27%were categorised ashigh potential incidentscompared to 29%globally. Incidents relatingto ‘lifting operations’ (47),‘working at height’ (31)and ‘transit by vessel’(24) ranked first, secondand third globally. This isnot the case when lookingat UK high potential incidentsonly. Although ‘lifting operations’(31) and ‘working at height’ (20)were ranked first and second, ‘routinemaintenance’ (16) ranked third.Garrod Evans, DoggerBank onshore cable worksThere is scope for the UK to improve,67% of the high potential incidents thatoccurred in the global offshore industry in2019 were in the UK and 78% of thosewere either a hazard or near hit/miss.Figure 11 shows the incident categoriesfor the UK, further highlighting theneed to continually to improve healthand safety performance.Despite an increase in the total numberof incidents from 588 to 633, theUK’s LTIF and TRIR of 2.3 and 5.0,outperformed global industry’s LTIFand TRIR, which were 2.77 and 5.5.UK* The definitions of these incidentcategories can be found in the G Global Offshore Wind Health andSafety Organisation’s 2019 incidentdata report.Comparing the three countries withthe most offshore wind sites showsthe UK continues to have the besthealth and safety performance basedon LTIF and TRIR, shown in figure 10.However, the UK’s outperformanceof the global statistics leaves no roomfor complacency given the increasein number of incidents from theprevious year.Figure 10: 2019 injuryrates and frequencyfor countries with thelargest number of sites412.35.0sitesA time lag in the data means the2020 global health and safetystatistics are not yet available.We have reported the recentlypublished G 2019 incident data.LTIFTRIRGermany119.213.4sitesFigure 9: Global offshore wind industry recordable injuries (2018 vs 2019)20192018Medical treatment injuriesRestricted work day injuriesLTIFTRIR** LTIF The number of recordableinjuries (fatalities lost work dayincidents) per 1 000 000 hoursworked.DenmarkTotal lost work days injuries105.811.0sitesFatalitiesLTIF0102030Source: G Global Offshore Wind Health and Safety Organisation 2018 incident data report40506070Much of the UK’s progress in offshorewind health and safety can be attributedto the power of collaboration betweenoperators and developers throughindustry groups. There is an appetiteto use research and technology toreduce risk. One such example isthe Thrive purpose-built safety traininghub developed by Ørsted which is“designed to transform behavioursand attitudes to safety” via a “powerful,immersive experience”. Another exampleis the establishment in 2020 by G of a Covid-19 group where membersand associates share information andgood Covid-19 working practices. Youcan read more detail about Covid-19measures on page 13.TRIR*** TRIR The number of recordableinjuries (fatalities lost work dayincidents restricted work dayincidents medical treatment injuries)per 1 000 000 hours worked.Figure 11: UK incident consequence profile and top three work processes in 2019*Restricted work day injuries 2%Medical treatment injuries 4%Lost work day injuries 5%Hazard 10%Near hits/miss 31%Asset damage 20%First aid cases 28%In the UK, the work processes causingthe most incidents in 2019 were:1. Access/egress 12%2. Lifting operations 11% and3. Manual handling 9%

12Greater Gabbard offshore wind farmblade repairs during the pandemicOffshore wind operational report 2020Keeping the lights on during a pandemic13Keepingthe lightson duringa pandemicOffshore wind operational report 2020Keeping the lights on during a pandemicNo one could have predicted howour lives would change as the UKentered a national lockdown to helplimit the spread of the Covid-19virus in March 2020. The need toadapt to the pandemic was universal,and here we shine a spotlight on theextraordinary efforts of the sector tomaintain offshore electricity generationthroughout these difficult times.With offshore wind supplying enoughfor 39% of UK domestic electricityneeds, the industry is an essentialpart of the UK’s infrastructure. Whenthe UK entered national lockdown inMarch, teams involved in maintaining,repairing and operating wind farms andtransmission assets adapted with speedand agility to quite literally keep the lightson in homes across the country.40.7TWhAs the pandemic evolved andguidelines changed, offshore windoperators and OFTOs risk assessedtheir operations, adapted plans andintroduced mitigations to keep staff safeand to maintain electricity generation.Many also delivered value above andbeyond by supporting local communitiesand donating personal protectiveequipment (PPE) to local hospitals.UK offshore windgenerated 40.7TWhlast year. That’s enoughto supply the electricityneeds of 10.8m homes,around 39% of theUK totalThe control measures implemented,as described in figure 12, provedsuccessful and early fears aroundwind farm availability were set asideas the professionalism of the sectorensured the continuity of the UK’soffshore wind fleet.The challenging circumstancescaused by the pandemic followedimmediately after three storms andheavy rainfall in February 2020.Whilst this resulted in record windgeneration, it also caused accessand availability issues offshore.There was also a continuing need forupgrade works and major componentexchanges, which were successfullycompleted despite the difficultiespresented by the pandemic.Together, these factors meant that2020 was an extraordinarily difficultyear for offshore wind teams, whichis why it is encouraging to see thatseveral operators are consideringthe wider implications and increasingtheir focus on wellbeing, particularlyfor remote and shift workers.From a market perspective, thestrong supply from renewables in2020 and reduced demand causedby lockdowns also caused volatilityaround the wholesale electricity price.It also highlighted system balancingchallenges for National Grid EnergySystems Operator which will need tobe addressed through a combinationof demand side response and frequencyresponse services as renewable energycapacity increases.Figure 12: Offshore wind pandemic control measuresSome of the control measuresthat have been implemented to‘Keep the lights on’ include, butare not limited to: Reduced team sizes and shiftpattern changes to limit physicalcontact where possible Introducing operations andmaintenance teams workbubbles to ensure resilienceand increase social distancing Office staff working remotelywhere possible Reduction of people, andinstallation of protective screens,on crew transfer vessels (CTVs) Measures on service operationvessels such as:– 50% capacity on board to allowfor social distancing– Implementing shift times in dining/mess rooms– Dedicated cabins for self-isolating– On-board medics– Limiting access to the on-boardgym with pre-booked sessions– Extra cleaning Introducing sanitising measuresand procedures including provisionof personal sanitising kits Introducing temperature checkingand self-declaration/questionnaireat the start of shifts to ensurepersonnel are safe to go offshore Track and trace at work, and in somecases beyond Strict protocols and procedures forwhen cases or contact with Covid-19were identified Flexibility for caring responsibilities,childcare and home-schooling Moving to tactical, risk-based andessential servicing where possible Introducing Covid-19 testing Deep cleaning and laundry of kitsto reduce cross-contamination Increased PPE requirements suchas face masks/shields Moving to digital toolbox talks/training Contingency and testing for controlroom staff

Capacity factorPower output (TWh)50%4045%3035%2530%25%2020%1515%1010%5Hornsea 1 12.8%(7.2%)Walney Extension 7.1%(8.6%)(made up of 26 wind farms)SheringhamShoal 2.9%(3.3%)40.7 TWhTotal generationin 2020London Array 6.4%(6.2%)Beatrice 5.9%(6.7%)Rampion 3.9%(3.2%)Race Bank 5.8%(6.7%)Galloper 3.9%(4.4%)East Anglia ONE 5.6%(N/A)West of Duddon Sands 4.0%(4.7%)Dudgeon 4.3%(5.0%)Greater Gabbard 4.8%(5.3%)Gwynt y Môr 4.6%(5.5%)2020201920050Figure 15: Percentage of electricity generated by UK asset 2020 (vs 2019)Other 28.0%Power output (TWh)3540%0%11mhomesInstalled capacity (GW)202020192018Figure 14: Capacity factor – England and Wales5%40%London Array offshore wind farm20170201696.0%2015120182021 (estimated)From 2019 to 2020, the power outputincreased by 29%, due to increasedcapacity and higher capacity factorsof modern turbines as well as higherwind Since 2005, the fleet capacity factorhas increased by 50% (30% in 2005vs 45% in 2020). One reason for thisis the development and use of tallerturbines with longer blades. These canharness the stronger and less turbulentairflow at higher altitudes and generatemore power per unit capacity. Newerwind turbines are capable of capacityfactors of 50%. Future wind turbinessuch as the GE Haliade-X 13MW areexpected to be higher at around 60%.820144.1mhomes99.5%201115%920102016The capacity factor of offshore windfarms is usually higher than onshorewind farms due to stronger, morestable wind conditions at sea. This isparticularly noticeable for the newestwind farms, located far from the coast.100.0%20133.3mhomes10200912%The capacity factor is the averagepower generated over a period, dividedby the rated peak power. It indicateshow fully a plant’s capacity is used.Installed capacity (GW)100.5%2012In 2020, the Fleet Performance Indexwas almost 97%; figure 13 shows thevariation in fleet performance over thelast ten years, which averages out at98.1%. 2013 and 2015 were impactedby export cable failures. In 2019 and2020, fleet performance was affectedby cable repairs and grid maintenance.2014Performance IndexFigure 14 shows the evolution of thecapacity factor and the power outputof offshore wind farms in England andWales, between 2005 and 2020.2008The analysis only includes fullyoperational wind farms and excludesthe construction period. The analysisincludes the whole system of the windfarm and its associated transmissionand export of electricity to shore.The expected power output is derivedfrom satellite measurements of windspeed and theoretical power curveslinking wind speed to the power output.This indirect calculation carriesa notable uncertainty.Figure 13: Fleet Performance Index – England and Wales2007The Fleet Performance Index comparesmetered electricity output againstthe expected output adjusted for actualwind speed during that period. It givesa direct measure of the performance ofthe offshore wind farm fleet in Englandand Wales, without any adjustmentfor outages.Capacity factor2011Fleet Performance IndexOffshore wind operational report 2020Wind farm performance2006Wind farm performanceNumber of homesthat could be suppliedby offshore wind farmelectricity generation(% of total UK homes)15Performance IndexOffshore wind operational report 2020Wind farm performanceCapacity factor14Offshore generationFigure 15 shows that Hornsea 1 andWalney Extension wind farms generatedalmost 20% of the UK’s total offshorewind power in 2020.

16Offshore wind operational report 2020Offshore wind performanceWind variabilityFigure 16 shows the impact onenergy production due to monthlywind speed variation in England andWales. Zero on the graph representsthe long-term average.Three storms in February 2020 – Ciara,Dennis and Jorge – resulted in one ofthe windiest months on record. This ledto a record breaking year for the sector,which saw strong regional variations,particularly in the summer and earlyautumn. While the severe conditionsat sea prevented crews from accessingwind turbines that required maintenance,the power output of the fleet was stillan extraordinary 49% above the longterm average. March 2020 followedsuit, with a 24% surge in performance.This enabled renewable energyto provide almost 50% of the UK’selectricity in the first calendar quarter,for the first time ever. While the stormscertainly helped reach this milestone,it could not have happened without thehuge increase in offshore wind capacityin UK waters in recent years.In December 2020 it was stormBella’s turn to make headlines. Withgusts reaching 100mph, the BoxingDay storm enabled wind power togenerate 50.7% of the UK’s electricityover a period of 24 hours.Nextgeneration1 rotation of theHaliade-X 13MWturbine will produceenough electricityto power a UK homefor two daysThe overall energy deviation atthe end of 2020 was 9% abovethe long-term average.60%UKEast Coast 0%0%0%0%-10%-10%-10%-20%-20%-20%-30%JanDecUKSouth %-20%-30%-30%DecDecUKIrish Sea60%50%Jan-30%JanJanScotland already plays host to severalmajor offshore wind farms such asBeatrice and Robin Rigg, with morecurrently in development such asMoray East and Neart Na Gaoithe whichare currently under construction. Thisis in addition to also hosting the world’sfirst floating wind farm, Hywind, witha second floating wind farm, Kincardine,under construction.These projects have been the catalystfor a significant increase in operationsand maintenance activities to supportthem, resulting in improved portinfrastructure around Scotland’s coast.In recognition of the opportunity inthis area, Crown Estate Scotland hasbeen progressing a programme ofwork to show how Scotland’s portsand harbours can tap into the hugepotential created by the developmentof offshore wind in the years to come.As part of that workstream, a recentreport commissioned by Crown EstateScotland titled Ports for offshore wind:A review of the net zero opportunityfor ports in Scotland found that whileScotland already has a strong andthriving ports sector, there are varioussteps that could be taken to maximisethe future potential of Scottish portsto host the major offshore wind projectsset to come online in the coming years.UKEast Coast (Thames Estuary)60%50%-30%Offshore wind operational report 2020Offshore wind performanceCrown Estate Scotlandoperational fleetFigure 16: Monthly energy deviation due to wind speed in 2020UKEast Coast (Humber)17DecThese steps, if applied successfully,could ensure that Scotland’s portsare ideally placed to support the majorexpansion of offshore wind in Scotland,and help the country take a major stridetowards net zero. The requirementfor more operational wind farmsaround Scotland and developmentof them could see: steps to increase the port capacitythat is suitable for large scale offshorewind developments; the establishment of a strategicapproach to how offshore windport facilities are developed; and the development of new optimaloperation and maintenance facilitieswhich open up the right opportunities.Beatrice offshore wind farmJanDec

18At the end of 2020, the OFTO offshoretransmission network consisted of25 offshore substations, supportingover 6.6GW of generating capacityconnected by 38 export cable circuits.These interface with either NationalGrid’s National Electricity TransmissionSystem (NETS) or the lower voltagedistribution networks owned andoperated by Distribution NetworkOperators (DNO). OFTO ownershipdetails are listed on page 27.Transmission system availability forOFTOs is published by National Grid eachJuly in the annual NETS PerformanceReport, the information in this sectioncovers data up to 31 March 2020.OFTOs are incentivised through theregulatory framework with specifictargets for each OFTO with the defaultlevel of availability being 98%. Figure 17shows the trend in availability over thelast five years where the average OFTOavailability was 98.5% and for 2019/20was 99.2%, well above the default level.National Grid collates availability datafor each OFTO annually. This includesall outages that originate on an OFTO’ssystem but excludes outages thatoriginate elsewhere. The OFTO availabilityincentive then adjusts the reportedoutage data to calculate incentivisedperformance for each OFTO.Figure 18 highlights there werefew outa

Offshore wind farm status GW 10.4 7.7 2.6 2.3 1.7 0.3 25.0 % 42% 31% 10% 9% 7% 1% 100% UK Germany Netherlands Belgium Denmark Rest of Europe Total Turbines 2,292 1,501 537 399 559 112 5,400 Triton Knoll west offshore substation and jackup vessel Neptune 04 Offshore wind operational report 2020 05 Offshore wind operational report 2020 Offshore .