Design, Analysis, and Verification of Moored Floating Caisson System
AQUACULTURE Oil & gas · PDF filelargest fish farm offshore Norway. Run by Ocean Farming,...
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THE LAST FEW years have seen an increasing interest in offshore fish farming, yet the are are still questions that be asked about how genuinely viable production can be achieved at offshore locations. According to Norwegian company Global Maritime, which has expertise and experience behind it in the oil and gas sector, there are lessons to be learned and technologies that can be adapted for taking fish farming offshore. Global Maritime is in the process of transferring its offshore expertise to the aquaculture sector with its involvement in the development of an offshore installation for Ocean Farming off the Norwegian island of Frøya. Bernt Ege and Karl Strømsem at Global Maritime are convinced that the new design combines the best of existing technology and solutions from the Norwegian fish farming industry and the offshore oil and gas sector. Commenting on the question of whether of not offshore farming can become commercially viable, they are adamant that this sector has a real future. “While there are potentially costly engineering and logistical challenges, from maintenance to feeding to harvesting the fish, and while there are operational challenges in running fish farms in harsh offshore weather conditions, I believe that the answer is yes,” Bernt Ege said. “I also believe that transferring existing expertise in the offshore oil and gas sector to aquaculture can go a long way towards ensuring that offshore fish farms become a vital and profitable source of future food production.” “Take oil & gas semi-submersibles, for example,” Karl Strømsem commented. “These are anchored floating marine vessels that support activities such as drilling, production and accommodation. Such vessels are secured to the seafloor and are designed to withstand the harshest of offshore environments. This requires the latest in structural engineering innovations, including stability and structural strength analyses, risk- based structural assessments, mechanical analysis and design and third-party verification. Semi-submersibles are also intended to have a small footprint to reduce exposure to waves.” He explained that automation on semi- submersibles is also a key driver, particularly in the low oil and gas sector price environment, with streamlined operations meaning improved profitability. Automation covers everything from vessel management to control and dynamic positioning systems, and drilling and production automation. “From anchoring and structural design to mooring and automation solutions, the oil and gas sector and semi-submersibles have much to offer offshore fish farming in addition to mono hulls and other forms of shipping.” Already responsible for designing and supporting some of the world’s largest floating offshore structures, Global Maritime Consultancy & Engineering is now taking its offshore and engineering expertise into aquaculture. One such application is an offshore farming facility which will be located near the island of Frøya in Norway and is destined to be the world’s largest fish farm offshore Norway. Run by Ocean Farming, it will focus on salmon and will be a permanently moored semi-submersible structure. The project has been approved by the Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Fisheries and is set to be operational later this year. Partners in its development include the Norwegian Marine Technology Research Institute (MARINTEK), DNV GL, who verified the design work, and Kongsberg Maritime who delivered power generation, automation controls and fish sensors. According to Bernt Ege and Karl Strømsem, Global Maritime’s oil and gas industry expertise has also been a key part of the in the facility’s design. “With the need to have a stable structure with minimal movement during rough weather, as is necessary in oil and gas as well as in aquaculture, Global Maritime designed a permanent, anchor-fixed structure. The submerged part of the farm is fixed to the seabed by eight catenary mooring lines and flotation tanks are placed beneath the seven vertical main columns for increased support. The design also includes one moveable and two fixed bulkheads.” The importance of limited wave movements was also addressed by the establishing of a small water plane area in the wave-affected areas of the columns, ensuring minimal movement in harsh conditions. To ensure large volumes of water to improve fish welfare, the semi-submersible is operational at depths between 100 and 300 metres, allowing for a water volume of 250,000 billion cubic metres (bcm). This provides the salmon with the opportunity to swim deep as well as enabling more fish to be farmed and improving the farm’s economics. The farm has the capacity to raise 1.5 million fish annually. The facility has been developed in as economical and sustainable way as possible with limited maintenance requirements and highly durable structural components. “The life of the structure is estimated at 25 years and is designed to survive ship collisions or a once-in- century-years wave conditions. All farming operations are also managed either on board or remotely, minimising the costs arising from service vessel use,” Bernt Ege said. Automated spray nozzles clean the nets and the feeding and harvesting of the fish and removal of dead fish is integrated into the design. In all cases, heavier manual operations are avoided with a crew of three able to manage the whole facility. “While there may be a higher initial investment cost, once up and running operational costs for offshore fish farms are likely to lower in the long- term. Tapping into expertise in oil and gas is playing an important role in achieving this,” he said. 16 www.worldfishing.net March 2017 AQUACULTURE For more unique news and analysis go to www.worldfishing.net/news Oil & gas technology for world’s largest offshore farm ALL ROUTINE DAILY operations can be managed on board the facility without the need for service vessels or other outside equipment THE SEMI-SUBMERSIBLE is designed to be operational at depths of between 100 and 300m and allows for a water volume of 250,000 billion cubic metres World Fishing March 2017_World Fishing 14/03/2017 12:04 Page 16
Transcript of AQUACULTURE Oil & gas · PDF filelargest fish farm offshore Norway. Run by Ocean Farming,...
THE LAST FEW years have seen an increasing interestin offshore fish farming, yet the are are stillquestions that be asked about how genuinely viableproduction can be achieved at offshore locations.According to Norwegian company Global Maritime,which has expertise and experience behind it in theoil and gas sector, there are lessons to be learned andtechnologies that can be adapted for taking fishfarming offshore.
Global Maritime is in the process of transferring itsoffshore expertise to the aquaculture sector with itsinvolvement in the development of an offshoreinstallation for Ocean Farming off the Norwegianisland of Frøya.
Bernt Ege and Karl Strømsem at Global Maritimeare convinced that the new design combines the bestof existing technology and solutions from theNorwegian fish farming industry and the offshore oiland gas sector.
Commenting on the question of whether of notoffshore farming can become commercially viable,they are adamant that this sector has a real future.
“While there are potentially costly engineering andlogistical challenges, from maintenance to feeding toharvesting the fish, and while there are operationalchallenges in running fish farms in harsh offshoreweather conditions, I believe that the answer is yes,”Bernt Ege said.
“I also believe that transferring existing expertisein the offshore oil and gas sector to aquaculture cango a long way towards ensuring that offshore fishfarms become a vital and profitable source of futurefood production.”
“Take oil & gas semi-submersibles, for example,”Karl Strømsem commented. “These are anchoredfloating marine vessels that support activities such asdrilling, production and accommodation. Such vesselsare secured to the seafloor and are designed towithstand the harshest of offshore environments. Thisrequires the latest in structural engineering innovations,including stability and structural strength analyses, risk-based structural assessments, mechanical analysis anddesign and third-party verification. Semi-submersiblesare also intended to have a small footprint to reduceexposure to waves.”
He explained that automation on semi-submersibles is also a key driver, particularly in the lowoil and gas sector price environment, with streamlinedoperations meaning improved profitability. Automationcovers everything from vessel management to controland dynamic positioning systems, and drilling andproduction automation.
“From anchoring and structural design to mooringand automation solutions, the oil and gas sector andsemi-submersibles have much to offer offshore fishfarming in addition to mono hulls and other forms ofshipping.”
Already responsible for designing and supportingsome of the world’s largest floating offshorestructures, Global Maritime Consultancy & Engineeringis now taking its offshore and engineering expertiseinto aquaculture. One such application is an offshorefarming facility which will be located near the islandof Frøya in Norway and is destined to be the world’slargest fish farm offshore Norway. Run by Ocean
Farming, it will focus on salmon and will be apermanently moored semi-submersible structure.
The project has been approved by the NorwegianMinistry of Trade and Fisheries and is set to beoperational later this year. Partners in its developmentinclude the Norwegian Marine Technology ResearchInstitute (MARINTEK), DNV GL, who verified the designwork, and Kongsberg Maritime who delivered powergeneration, automation controls and fish sensors.According to Bernt Ege and Karl Strømsem, GlobalMaritime’s oil and gas industry expertise has alsobeen a key part of the in the facility’s design.
“With the need to have a stable structure withminimal movement during rough weather, as isnecessary in oil and gas as well as in aquaculture,Global Maritime designed a permanent, anchor-fixedstructure. The submerged part of the farm is fixed to
the seabed by eight catenary mooring lines andflotation tanks are placed beneath the seven verticalmain columns for increased support. The design alsoincludes one moveable and two fixed bulkheads.”
The importance of limited wave movements wasalso addressed by the establishing of a small waterplane area in the wave-affected areas of the columns,ensuring minimal movement in harsh conditions.
To ensure large volumes of water to improve fishwelfare, the semi-submersible is operational atdepths between 100 and 300 metres, allowing for awater volume of 250,000 billion cubic metres (bcm).This provides the salmon with the opportunity toswim deep as well as enabling more fish to befarmed and improving the farm’s economics. The farmhas the capacity to raise 1.5 million fish annually.
The facility has been developed in as economicaland sustainable way as possible with limitedmaintenance requirements and highly durablestructural components.
“The life of the structure is estimated at 25 yearsand is designed to survive ship collisions or a once-in-century-years wave conditions. All farming operationsare also managed either on board or remotely,minimising the costs arising from service vessel use,”Bernt Ege said.
Automated spray nozzles clean the nets and thefeeding and harvesting of the fish and removal ofdead fish is integrated into the design. In all cases,heavier manual operations are avoided with a crew ofthree able to manage the whole facility.
“While there may be a higher initial investmentcost, once up and running operational costs foroffshore fish farms are likely to lower in the long-term. Tapping into expertise in oil and gas is playingan important role in achieving this,” he said.
16 www.worldfishing.net March 2017
AQUACULTURE For more unique news and analysis go to www.worldfishing.net/news
Oil & gas technology forworld’s largest offshore farm
ALL ROUTINE DAILY operations can be managed on board the facility without the need for service vessels or other outside equipment
THE SEMI-SUBMERSIBLE is designed to be operational at depths of between 100 and 300m and allows for a water volume of 250,000 billion cubic metres
World Fishing March 2017_World Fishing 14/03/2017 12:04 Page 16
