Interview: George Katsikogiannis on XL Monopiles

George Katsikogiannis was an esteemed part of our speaker line-up for the 12th Offshore Wind 2023; Foundations & Substations conference. We did an interview with him on his topic at the conference.

Tell us a little bit more about your role; What is the significance of your research topic for Wind Structures?  

As a research scientist in the ships and ocean structures department at SINTEF Ocean, I am involved in numerical studies and model tests of various types of offshore structures, primarily focusing on offshore wind turbines. I mainly work on developing computationally efficient design methods for fatigue and extreme responses of monopile foundations, assessing the impact of state-of-the-art models on global responses of large-diameter monopiles, and statistical modelling of metocean conditions for design purposes.

Without giving away too much, what will attendees learn at your presentation?

During my presentation, attendees will gain insights into the WAS-XL joint industry project. This project focused on the following topics, important for large-diameter monopile foundations: modelling of nonlinear wave kinematics and loads, the interaction between hydrodynamic loads and nonlinear soil response, and long-term structural response analysis methods. I will present the key results and demonstrate how these findings were applied and further developed through Empire Wind commercial project.

What should the Offshore Wind industry prepare to face in the future?

As offshore wind developments move further offshore, continuous development of technologies for foundation design, installation, operation and maintenance (O&M), and efficient grid integration systems is inevitable. Furthermore, ensuring an efficient supply chain becomes crucial to streamline the overall project execution by optimizing the manufacturing processes and enhancing the logistics of components transportation. Finally, sustainability throughout the entire lifecycle of projects is essential so the industry can mitigate its ecological footprint. This includes adopting environmentally friendly manufacturing practices, optimizing O&M strategies, and developing effective decommissioning plans for end-of-life assets.

What is something SINTEF is proud of achieving in the last year?

As SINTEF, we are proud to be a respected partner in accelerating the green energy transition. Through close collaboration with industry and university partners, we continuously develop our infrastructure and approaches to address a wide range of industry challenges, so we can contribute to driving the renewable energy sector forward. Recent examples that highlight our commitment to this vision are our involvement in the design of the Empire Wind offshore wind project and our leading role in a research project that laid the foundation for the INO Windmoor floating foundation, which boasts the highest planned installed MW capacity.

What are your expectations for our Offshore Wind 2023 conference?

I expect to gain valuable insights and establish meaningful connections with experts with diverse backgrounds and perspectives actively involved in offshore wind projects. A comprehensive understanding of industry challenges is essential to be a relevant research partner. Moreover, SINTEF Ocean's strategy places a central emphasis on sustainability. Therefore, I am particularly interested in hearing the industry's perspective on sustainability and learning about their initiatives, best practices, and innovative approaches.

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