The purpose of this project was to establish a methodological framework for estimating the installation cost of offshore wind energy devices in the US OCS and providing removal cost estimates.
The scope of work was broken up into the following tasks:
Task 1. Review and synthesize the installation methods and costs of current and proposed offshore wind energy projects, internationally and domestically, using both primary and secondary data sources including interviews with project personnel;
Task 2. Describe the factors that determine installation costs and equipment requirements, and highlight the market conditions in each OCS region (Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico) for the marine vessels required in wind, wave, and current device installation;
Task 3. Develop time tables and engineering cost models across each stage of the installation process for offshore energy projects in each OCS region according to:
Foundation transport and installation
Device transport and installation
Mooring transport and installation
Electrical interface and cable layout and connection
Substation transport and installation for existing, proposed, and possible commercial developments; Task 4. Review and synthesize the removal requirements of current and proposed offshore energy projects by reviewing decommissioning program documents of international and domestic projects;
Task 5. Propose removal cost estimates for energy conversion devices in demonstration, planning, and potential commercial development;
Task 6. Compare cost estimates against actual project cost data and development scenarios where such data is available.
Completed.