The marine coordinator of an offshore wind farm, and his or her team, face many different challenges on a daily basis. Those new to the industry and the role will soon come to grips with the reality that the working day in front of them is never the same as the one before, there will always be something different to contend with. Whether it’s problems or maintenance with the operations of the wind turbines themselves, problems relating to the wind levels, ongoing variations in waves and weather, and the tracking of vessels carrying equipment and personnel, a marine coordinator is at the mercy of so many external factors.
One way in which they can guarantee some control over the situation is by working with an accurate and flexible marine management system, such as SeaPlanner. The job role requires a focused mind that can analyse many types of data and perform in an accurate way to enable the safety and effectiveness of the operation of an offshore wind farm.
Offshore wind farms are, of course, running as often as possible in order to continuously supply homes around the UK with renewable energy. For the companies running operating them the wind farms, it is important that every effort is made to ensure this minimum downtime and a marine coordinator’s role is to ensure that there is a plan in place to cope with any unforeseen eventuality and to track vessels and cargo destined for the turbines and the shore.
The marine coordinator will liaise with vessels traveling from the nearest ports and guide them on their journey towards the offshore wind farm. Vessels need to be tracked for many different reasons. Some will be carrying personnel that are needed to work on the wind turbines, to perform maintenance or repairs, other vessels will be carrying much needed equipment and supplies. Ensuring that everything remains on schedule and safe is the marine coordinator’s role.
With so many variables to consider, from wind speeds, visibility, temperature, weather reports for days in advance and wave heights, having accurate data for them all is crucial to enable the marine coordinator to make the right call at any given moment. If there is a weather variable that could be potentially dangerous or life threatening to crew members on board one of the vessels a marine coordinator will be able to halt proceedings and re-evaluate the approach.
We have developed SeaPlanner to offer a wide array of data points and information in one-software suite, providing marine coordinators on offshore wind farms and other locations the foundations to perform an accurate and focused job. It includes personnel tracking, access control systems, vessel tracking management, certification management, asset risk management and marine operations. Contact us today if you’d like to discuss how SeaPlanner could be the perfect addition to your offshore wind farm operation.