Renewables Project Certification for Wind Farm Development

Certification for onshore and offshore wind farm developers

After completing the type certification process, project certification is the next step in the development of an onshore or offshore wind farm. It proves that the type-certified wind turbines and the particular substructure and foundation designs meet site-specific conditions and are in conformity with applicable local codes, official regulations and other site-specific requirements. A project certificate confirms that the structural integrity of the type-certified wind turbines should remain safe under the influence of site-specific conditions such as wind, sea, soil and electrical networks. The project certification process also evaluates the manufacturing of structural components to be installed at a specific wind farm, as well as the transportation, erection and commissioning.

Wind farm certification supports project development

Project certification is typically applied to offshore wind farm projects because they are highly complex. Offshore projects pose more challenging environmental conditions and require additional planning and logistics. For this reason, project certification is an important instrument for risk mitigation, thus may be requested by financiers, insurers and/or permitting authorities. UL Solutions has over a decade of experience in offshore wind farm certification and is able to support the project development process from early design to the design, manufacturing, transportation, installation and commissioning phases. Further risks during the operation of the offshore wind project can be reduced by an independent, third-party certification of the operations and maintenance phase.

Evaluation and surveillance services as your wind development guidelines

Site conditions evaluation

• Wind and marine, soil, electrical power network and other environmental conditions

Design basis evaluation

• Design parameters and methodologies
• Applicability of codes and standards
• Wind turbine type
• Support structure concept
• Requirements for manufacturing, transportation, installation and commissioning
• Requirements for operations and maintenance
• Requirements for grid connection

Integrated load analysis

• Independent modelling of integrated structure consisting of wind turbine and support structure including foundation and soil conditions
• Calculation and application of wind and hydrodynamic loads as well as other loads as required, e.g., earthquake, sea ice or hurricane/typhoon conditions
• Independent parallel calculation of wind turbine, support structure and foundation design loads

Site-specific wind turbine design evaluation

• Review of type certificate and evaluation of load comparison between site-specific and type-certified design loads for the wind turbine or the rotor nacelle assembly (RNA)
• Evaluation of site-specific electrical systems, if required

Site-specific support structure and foundation design evaluation

• Evaluation of site-specific design of monopile and transition piece including the grouted or bolted connection
• Evaluation of site-specific jacket design including foundation piles and grouted connection
• Evaluation of secondary steel, scour protection, corrosion protection, etc.
• Evaluation of gravity base foundations and pre-stressed concrete structures
• Evaluation of manufacturing, transportation, installation and maintenance plan

Other installation design evaluations

• Offshore substation (OSS) topside design evaluation:
  • Fire and explosion protection
  • Access and transfer
  • Emergency response
  • Structure/foundation
• Power cable design evaluation

Wind turbine/RNA manufacturing surveillance

• Manufacturing surveillance of rotor blades, structural and mechanical machinery components
• Evaluation of quality system of manufacturing locations
• Manufacturing inspections

Support structure manufacturing surveillance

• Manufacturing surveillance of wind turbine towers, support structures and foundation piles, and pre-cast concrete structures
• Evaluation of quality systems at manufacturing locations
• Manufacturing inspections

Other installations manufacturing surveillance

• Manufacturing surveillance of offshore substation topsides, substructures, and foundations as well as power cables and cable accessories
• Evaluation of quality systems at manufacturing locations
• Manufacturing inspections

Project characteristics measurements

Optional conformity evaluation of project characteristics measurements including:

• Grid connection compatibility according to grid codes
• Verification of power performance and/or verification of acoustic noise emission

Transport and installation surveillance

• Review of manuals and method statements
• Witness of load-out, offshore transportation and installation of RNA, towers, substructures and foundations
• Witness of load-out, offshore transportation and installation of OSS topsides, substructures, foundations and power cables
• Identify synergies between transportation and installation surveillance and the Marine Warranty Survey (MWS)

Commissioning surveillance

• Evaluation of commissioning instructions
• Review of commissioning reports
• Witness of commissioning

Final evaluation and issue of wind farm certificate

Operations and maintenance surveillance

• Evaluation of operations and maintenance records/reports
• Status of outstanding findings from previous inspections
• Status of repair, modification and replacement (RMR)
• Evaluation of RMR records/reports