Yet another offshore engineering company — in this case Norway-based AF Gruppen — has crossed over into the “renewable” sector with a new business to oversee operations.

The new AF company, called ViciVentus, will develop foundation concepts for offshore wind turbines and deliver pre-assembled wind turbines offshore. The AF Group is already an oilfield construction and engineering force in the North Sea.

Oil-platform constructions are behind ViciVentus’s designs, and concrete substructures are connected to tower and turbine shore-side.

“On arrival at the final destination, the base is simply filled with water to anchor the pre-assembled windmill to the seabed,” a statement said.

“Experience from oil and gas rigs has shown that concrete substructures have a long lifetime and require almost no maintenance,” said AF chief exec, Pål Egil Rønn.

Different water depths, seabed conditions and installation methods are seen slowing the advent of offshore wind parks by complicating installation and planning approvals.

Tags: AF Gruppen