Growth through Research, development & demonstration in Offshore Wind

Niels Bijkersma, Programme Council member of RWE on the project HyPE-ST

"We can say that the hydraulic extraction technique works. All important objectives have been successfully achieved within time and budget. We are entering the next phase in the development of the technology with great confidence. "

Niels also points out that hydraulic extraction could potentially also be used for other types of piles, e.g. pin piles of jackets. The main requirement is that the pile can be sealed effectively. The small openings on the side of the monopile can be expected to be properly sealed from the inside, but how the top of the pile can be sealed most effectively is still the subject of research.

"The technology is very likely much cheaper than removing the monopile by e.g. vibrating. Vibrating requires larger cranes and no specialised equipment is required for hydraulic pile extraction. Therefore, the heavy lifting vessels can be smaller. "

Niels wants to compliment the consortium members and the project team for an effective and pleasant collaboration to carry out this project: "Without GROW, we would have had a real headache when two partners withdrew from the project a few days before the deadline. However, we could make good use of GROW's extensive network to solve this problem. "

Niels rediscovered the importance of a good and well thought-out proposal, discussed and agreed with all partners. This made implementation much easier and ultimately saved a lot of time as all work and responsibilities were clear from the start. That is why Niels advises other consortia working on innovation projects to put a lot of time and effort into preparing the proposal, as this investment will easily be recouped in the implementation phase of the project.

Finally: Niels is proud of developing the project idea for HyPE-ST, the realisation of the project, the collaboration in the consortium and, among other things, taking the next steps towards a follow-up project. Niels emphasizes that the consortium partners Deltares, DOT, IHC, RWE, Sif and TNO are in a good position to apply the technology once fully developed.


            HyPE-ST
HyPE-ST
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Niels Bijkersma
Niels Bijkersma
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