--- title: Pioneering carbon-cost optimisation in offshore wind foundations date: 2023-06-06T15:28:00+01:00 author: Izaak Blanksma canonical_url: "https://kentplc.com/news-insights/pioneering-carbon-cost-optimisation-in-offshore-wind-foundations" section: Blog --- 06 Jun 2023 # Pioneering carbon-cost optimisation in offshore wind foundations ![Ed unwin thumbnail banner]() Offshore wind allows the UK to harness its naturally strong winds. The ScotWind leasing process enabled developers to apply for seabed rights to plan and then build wind farms in Scottish waters. As much as 27.6GW of new generating capacity will be built over the next decade as a result, and 65% (18GW) of that is earmarked to be floating wind. With turbine ratings expected between 15-20MW, Scottish waters could see over 1,400 new turbine foundations from this lease alone. Early decision-making for offshore wind is driven by multiple objectives, such as the levelised cost of electricity. Given the scale of buildout and considering the UK Government’s Net Zero Strategy, optimising for the embodied carbon different fabrication and transportation scenarios may support scenarios with a higher level of local content. Kent has worked in partnership with the Institute for Energy Systems at The University of Edinburgh, and our former summer internship student, Clementine Thompson, through a master’s thesis on multi-objective optimisation for carbon emissions and the cost of offshore wind foundations. The cost and embodied carbon from over 90 offshore wind foundation design scenarios were analysed in order to determine optimal design choices for future ScotWind sites. Support Vector Regression and nonlinear relationships were used to determine the mass of steel and grout required for jackets in water depths between 40-80m with ratings 12-20MW and for steel semi-submersibles from 10-20MW. The embodied carbon from the materials was calculated using data from *ecoinvent*, the Inventory of Carbon and Energy (ICE) and worldwide steel fabricators, and the costs were calculated using steel production costs from World Steel, labour costs and industry rates. The shipping of the foundations from China, Dubai, Spain and the North of England to Scotland’s Port of Cromarty was also accounted for, using case studies such as the Seagreen and Kincardine wind foundations to determine the types of ship, the number of foundations onboard and the subsequent costs and carbon from the shipping. A theoretical scenario of local manufacture using green steel in Scotland was also considered, using projected costs and embodied carbon. This enabled embodied carbon (gCO2eq/kWh) to be plotted against its relative cost (£2022/kW) for each scenario to assess the relative carbon-cost optimisation challenge. Interested to learn more about this research project? Drop by our stand G40 at Renewable UK's Global Offshore Wind 2023 to connect with our Floating Offshore Wind Lead, Ed Unwin. Discover how we implement multi-objective as Edward Unwin and Robin O’Connell discuss the process for Floating Substation Design: Share this story [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fkentplc.com%2Fnews-insights%2Fpioneering-carbon-cost-optimisation-in-offshore-wind-foundations) [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://kentplc.com/news-insights/pioneering-carbon-cost-optimisation-in-offshore-wind-foundations) [X](https://x.com/intent/tweet?url=https://kentplc.com/news-insights/pioneering-carbon-cost-optimisation-in-offshore-wind-foundations&text=Pioneering%20carbon-cost%20optimisation%20in%20offshore%20wind%20foundations) Related Blogs ## You might also like [![TL David Howie Offshore Wind Thumbnail]()](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/deepwater-offshore-wind-maximising-the-opportunity)Insights & Opinions [Deepwater Offshore Wind: Maximising the opportunity ](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/deepwater-offshore-wind-maximising-the-opportunity)Kent's Offshore Wind Technical Director, David Howie, mentions what the new dedicated Other Deep Offshore Wind category in AR8 means for the industry [Read article](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/deepwater-offshore-wind-maximising-the-opportunity) [![TL David Boland Offshore Maintenance Thumbnail]()](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/reducing-complexity-in-offshore-maintenance)Insights & Opinions [Reducing complexity in offshore maintenance ](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/reducing-complexity-in-offshore-maintenance)Kent's Operations Manager, David Boland, explores how integrated maintenance models improve reliability and reduce offshore complexity [Read article](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/reducing-complexity-in-offshore-maintenance) [![TL Dave Blackburn Strategies Thumbnail]()](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/where-late-life-strategies-break-down)Insights & Opinions [Where late life strategies break down ](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/where-late-life-strategies-break-down)Kent's SVP Global Late Life Assets & Decommissioning, Dave Blackburn, explores why the transition to decommissioning should begin while assets are still operating [Read article](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/where-late-life-strategies-break-down) [![TL Ian Long Thumbnail 1]()](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/as-oil-and-gas-developments-become-more-complex-why-early-technology-selection-matters)Insights & Opinions [As oil and gas developments become more complex, why early technology selection matters ](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/as-oil-and-gas-developments-become-more-complex-why-early-technology-selection-matters)Kent's Study Manager – APAC, Ian Long, explores why early technology selection matters as oil and gas developments become more complex [Read article](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/as-oil-and-gas-developments-become-more-complex-why-early-technology-selection-matters) [![PR Oxea web thumb]()](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/kent-awarded-epcm-services-for-major-oxea-specialty-chemicals-project-following-successful-feed-completion)Press Releases & Featured Stories [Kent awarded EPCm services for major OXEA specialty chemicals project following successful FEED completion ](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/kent-awarded-epcm-services-for-major-oxea-specialty-chemicals-project-following-successful-feed-completion)Kent continues its support of OXEA through a long-term Engineering Services Agreement and the award of detailed engineering services [Read article](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/kent-awarded-epcm-services-for-major-oxea-specialty-chemicals-project-following-successful-feed-completion) [![EIC Survive and Thrive Thumbnail update final]()](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/eic-survive-and-thrive-x-report)Press Releases & Featured Stories [EIC Survive and Thrive X report ](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/eic-survive-and-thrive-x-report)Kent's long-term growth strategy is building a more resilient business [Read article](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/eic-survive-and-thrive-x-report) [![TL Ferruh E web thumb]()](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/why-the-data-centre-conversation-now-starts-with-substations)Insights & Opinions [Why the data centre conversation now starts with substations ](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/why-the-data-centre-conversation-now-starts-with-substations)Kent Data Centres new VP of Design & Engineering, Ferruh Ertekin, details the increasing importance of substation design for future infrastructure expansion [Read article](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/why-the-data-centre-conversation-now-starts-with-substations) [![TL Carl Titchmarsh QGC Thumbnail]()](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/the-best-mtac-partners-never-stop-earning-their-place)Insights & Opinions [The best MTAC partners never stop earning their place ](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/the-best-mtac-partners-never-stop-earning-their-place)Kent’s SVP Operations – APAC, Carl Titchmarsh, explores why the best MTAC partnerships are built on continuous improvement, not longevity [Read article](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/the-best-mtac-partners-never-stop-earning-their-place) [![PR Aramco x Kent web thumb 1]()](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/kent-secures-strategic-aramco-brownfield-epc-and-pmc-lta-agreements)Press Releases & Featured Stories [Kent secures strategic Aramco Brownfield EPC and PMC LTA agreements ](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/kent-secures-strategic-aramco-brownfield-epc-and-pmc-lta-agreements)Kent has signed a Long-Term Agreement with Aramco, further establishing the company's presence in Saudi Arabia [Read article](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/kent-secures-strategic-aramco-brownfield-epc-and-pmc-lta-agreements) [](#)[](#)