Ship&Offshore | Issue 08/2025
Research reveals risk of fatigue
Research by classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) has revealed that some offshore wind turbine support structures may not meet fatigue life design expectations. The investigation demonstrated that reliability-based inspections can help manage component fatigue risks. The classification society assessed a North Atlantic wind farm with 60-70 turbines and a capacity of more than 500 MW. Turbines are typically designed for a service life of 25 years and a fatigue design factor of three, resulting in a minimum required fatigue life of 75 years....