EDF select “Kyowa Filter Units” for monopile scour protection on Teesside OWF
Ridgeway Rockbags successfully supplied the first “Kwoya Filter Units” from Japanese manufacturer Kyowa Limited for offshore wind turbine monopile sea scour protection in Europe. This patent protected applaction used a combination of the 4 & 8 tonne type Rockbags filled with specific aggregate in a circular formation around the monopole, engineers where able to achieve tough design criteria set for sea and wave conditions. Filter Units Rockbags offer virtually no maintenance scour performance by having a flexible structure, are easy , safe and fast to install, made from 100% recylced materal and offer a natural eco habitat for sealife when installed.
Ridgeway Rockbags worked closely with the developer EDF Energy Renewables and the consulting engineer Ramboll, who were responsible for the scour protection design. To confirm stability of combined 4 & 8 ton filter unit Rockbags method Ramboll used advanced wave modelling techniques to simulate the worst conditions at the site. The reason for these calculations was to discover flow speeds and suction conditions at the base of the monopiles so that a final design layout could be confirmed. Once the calculations had been obtained the design engineers and the Teesside project management give the green light to utilise the innovative solution for scour protection on 11 of the 27 turbines.
Ridgeway Rockbags were sub-contracted to fill and present the filter units at the Port. This represents a tremendous example of small business collaboration and cooperation to move a project like this along at a faster than normal pace often associated with large projects in this sector.
Stephen Kane MD of Ridgeway Rockbags said “it took a significant amount of team effort to make this project happen and we are particularly pleased that collectively all businesses came together to deliver the project ahead of schedule much to the satisfaction of our clients”.
