Operations & Maintenance of floating wind (FLOW) will involve the servicing of platforms the height of a sky-scraper many miles out to sea.

Around 260 such platforms are expected to be deployed in the Celtic Sea by the late 2030s. All will require scheduled and unscheduled maintenance of the turbines themselves - but also the towers,  floating platforms, cables, moorings and anchors. 

Much uncertainty remains on how O+M will be completed for FLOW but it's a clear that a wide range of expertise will be required. Marine operations, remote monitoring, major component replacement, sub-sea inspection, vessels and the logistics to support "next gen O+M" (as highlighted in OWIC's IGP report as an area of high priority opportunity for the UK.

There is much yet to be learned from the few test and demo FLOW sites; but we believe there is scope for developing ambitious approaches to service provision.