Offshore & Wind Energy
Providing safe, efficient offshore structures to meet evolving energy needs.
The wind and offshore sectors are constantly evolving as new technologies are developed, energy demand increases and governments seek to reduce their greenhouse emissions. In the face of supply chain challenges and climate change, countries and companies are looking for new solutions, as well as ways to make existing ones more sustainable and efficient.
Reinventing the oil and gas sector
The oil and gas industry plays an essential role in providing energy for industry, fuel for transport and raw materials for many consumer products. Offshore oil and gas activities range from searching for potential underground crude oil to drilling exploratory wells, developing offshore oil fields and processing oil and gas. These activities require a wide range of installations and support vessels. As the industry evolves, so too do the type of installation and their design specifications.
In recent years, the sector has embraced different ways to reduce its environment impact, including:
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Decreasing freshwater usage
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Improving water recycling
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Reducing methane leaks
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Recycling used oil
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Improving processes
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Creating digital oil fields
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Diversifying into renewables
Many of these changes require installations and structures to be equipped with specific technologies, for example, Crystar® ceramic microfiltration can be used to recycle difficult industrial waste waters. As well as solutions made from lighter, more sustainable materials. At Saint-Gobain Marine, we are committed to supporting offshore customers in making this transition towards a greener, more sustainable approach.
Capitalising on renewable energy sources
As governments worldwide focus on decarbonising their energy supply and achieving emission reductions, the wind and sea are potentially huge sources of energy. Fixed offshore wind is now a mature and viable sector, and floating wind solutions are moving closer to commercial viability. Tidal and wave solutions are still in their infancy but could, if successfully harnessed, significantly boost the renewable energy sector in coming years.
Offshore wind power in Europe was already price-competitive with conventional power sources in 2017. As of 2020, offshore wind power had become a significant part of Northern Europe power generation, though it still represented only a tiny percentage of overall world electricity generation. The number of offshore wind installations will, without doubt, continue to grow. This means that, more than ever, we need tailored solutions capable of meeting the specific requirements of wind farms and platforms including reducing the impact of noise. Noise input into the oceans has significantly increased. Developing effective solutions for underwater noise protection, as well as for occupational health and safety on offshore platforms, is therefore a priority.
Insulation brands like ISOVER, flooring experts like Weber and ceiling and wall suppliers like Ecophon all provide solutions to enhance acoustic comfort by reducing the noise and vibrations from wind turbines, as well as heavy machinery often found on oil platforms.
Making safety, security and durability priority
The sea can be a most treacherous environment. Crews and passengers therefore need to be protected and have the safest possible conditions. This is particularly true on oil rigs and other offshore platforms, which are exposed to extreme weather and the risk of explosions.
Aware of these risks, Saint-Gobain brands have developed – and continue to grow – a wide range of customisable solutions for offshore. Sully and Vetrotech specialise in pressure-resistant, blast-resistant glazing solutions. While all our brands work to the latest fire safety requirements and can offer enhanced fire protection for high-risk areas like machinery rooms.
Subject to tough conditions, wind and offshore structure also require solutions that are robust and designed to last a long time. Corrosion needs to be avoided to ensure integrity of the structure and reduce maintain costs and downtime. Saint-Gobain Coating Solutions has developed a range of solutions protect steel parts for up to 20 years including Thermal Spray Aluminium (TSA) applied using its lightweight Z-Jet Wire Flame Spray – enabling you to protect all kinds of metal structure even in the most aggressive marine and coastal environments.
Working together to innovate in wind and offshore
Together, we can build offshore installations that offer optimum conditions, while also delivering on the need for energy that is more sustainable, competitively priced and reliable.
Questions about our solutions? An offshore project that you need to optimise?
