Typical Interface Management Pitfalls in Offshore Wind Farm OWF Development Applications and the Role of Marine Warranty Surveyor MWS in this Matrix of Operations
Authors: Ekici Deniz , White Mike , Herrington Paul 
Published: April 2016

Offshore Wind Farm (OWF) construction operations are expensive and complex; they require thorough and multi-layered design, verification and certification phases. Besides established Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Installation (EPCI) Contractors knowledgeable to OWF installation operations, there are other types of players in the market; new entrants in the market with limited offshore experience who tend to bring their onshore wind farm experience, supplemented with installation managers recruited from offshore oil and gas industry, and proficient offshore marine contractors with limited OWF experience. In principle, this approach is feasible given the fact that there are simply not enough experienced project managers and engineers with experience in offshore wind farm applications to meet the needs of the industry. The problem at this point reveals itself in the absence of a common, holistic, understanding of the OWF project risk items among stakeholders. When project partners are inexperienced in various aspects of OWF construction operations, the benefit of Marine Warranty Surveyor (MWS) participation, on behalf of the insurance underwriters, is realized in risk mitigation through their oversight and certification of the planned activities. Taking a holistic approach with early integration of all partners involved in the engineering, procurement, fabrication, and installation of OWF construction activities, along with insurers and MWS, reduces the risk profile with greater chance of success, minimizing likelihood of an insurance claim.

The requirement for an MWS comes about when a project has high value equipment which is subject to marine risk and seeks marine insurance for that equipment, taking into account those risks. The underwriter for the insurance policy seeks confirmation that the risks to which it is exposed are in accordance with acceptable industry practice and standards. The underwriter writes a warranty into the policy wording, requiring the approval of some or all of the activities by a competent surveyor. The MWS acts on behalf of the insurance underwriters to ensure that the terms and conditions of the marine insurance warranty clauses of the insurance policy are fulfilled by means of evaluating operational risks and assessing the feasibility of working practices via technical and practical reviews, supplemented with on-site attendance.

One of the most critical determinations made by the project development team is to decide when and how to involve the MWS in these complicated operations. Early and continued involvement of MWS provides opportunity to minimize interface management risks between various project partners, as MWS typically reviews all aspects of the temporary operations phases of the OWF construction activities, observing the integrated requirements of engineering, construction, transportation, and installation. The ultimate goals, shared by MWS, are the timely identification and overcoming of common technical and managerial shortcomings in the offshore wind industry, and to streamline the overall operational flow in these progressively larger and intricately complex undertakings.