DLC:X.X

Today’s offshore wind design standards assume limited observability and controllability of structural loads, leading to conservative designs, heavy support structures, and high CAPEX. DLC:X.X challenges this paradigm by integrating structural health monitoring (SHM) and advanced operational control already at the design stage, supported by a probabilistic design framework. In parallel, the project extends the traditional design load case (DLC) table to better reflect modern operational reality, including grid- and market-driven operation.

Offshore wind turbine support structures have been designed with high safety margins due to uncertainties in loading, material behavior, and inspection possibilities. While SHM is increasingly deployed on operating wind turbines, providing valuable insights into fatigue consumption and lifetime extension, its potential value for the design of future turbines is not yet fully exploited.

On the other hand, current design load cases do not adequately represent grid constraints, curtailment, reserve markets, and dynamic power setpoints. As a result, offshore structures are often over-engineered, leading to higher steel usage, higher CAPEX, and ultimately a higher levelized cost of energy (LCoE).

DLC:X.X is a strategic research project that aims to make offshore wind turbine support structures more cost-effective without compromising reliability. To achieve this objective, the project partners will develop:

• A probabilistic design and fatigue life management framework that explicitly accounts for structural health monitoring and load control

• An extended design load case table that meets future grid/market requirements and includes varying power setpoints, both offensive (revenue-driven) and defensive (load-mitigating)

• A real-world case study in the Princess Elisabeth Zone, quantifying the impact of probabilistic design and extended load cases.

By combining probabilistic design framework, uncertainty reduction through structural health monitoring data, improved decision-making that balances fatigue loads against cost/revenue, DLC:X.X’s impact will reduce conservatism in fatigue design of new offshore substructures.

Partners: Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Ghent University, Aalborg University, DNV.

Industrial Advisory Board: Otary RS NV​, Elicio NV​, JERANexBP, Jan de Nul NV​, Engie Laborelec​, 24SEA BVBA​, Siemens Energy, Nordex.

With the support of: VLAIO and De Blauwe Cluster