Bringing PLTE to the North Sea To Increase Cost-Efficiency and Reliability
The North Sea project encompasses more than a dozen wind farms throughout the Belgian North Sea and a portion of Dutch waters. Starting with wireless mesh technology installations at the Noblewind and Belwind offshore wind farm in 2010, a wireless service provider embarked on providing connectivity to the region. Subsequently, in 2018, the wireless provider partnered with Nokia to implement 5G-ready systems in response to the growing demand for reliable communication and the transfer of larger data volumes.
Since relying on satellite, 3G services, and VHF radio is no longer a cost-effective option to maintain crucial connectivity, private LTE (PLTE) to the North Sea wind farm allows operators to ensure consistent and reliable connectivity for workers, vessels, sensors, and operation centers.
The demand for offshore wind farm power generation is surging, and the North Sea is an optimal location for expansion. According to GlobalData’s Wind Turbine Update 2019: Global Market Size, Competitive Landscape, and Key Country Analysis to 2023, the high wind speeds in the North Sea and Baltic Sea have proven highly advantageous, resulting in consistent electricity production and elevating the importance of offshore farms for grid operations.
During the initial 2013 Northwind installation, the wind farm was made up of 216 turbines that required robust inter-vessel communication and dependable internet uplinks, all facilitated by the provider extending the bandwidth through an existing fiber connection running back to shore. Since then, the demand for offshore wind power has continued to grow, and the escalating adoption of digitalization and automation in the industry necessitates faster communication speeds and lower latency.
Challenge | Providing Constant, Reliable, and Fast Connectivity To Wind Farms While Remaining Cost-Effective
According to market analysis conducted by GlobalData, the global wind turbine market is projected to witness substantial growth in the share of offshore wind turbines through 2023 from $21.58 billion (2014-2018) to $35.59 billion by the end of 2023.
Before 2010, wind farms were much smaller, with fewer turbines that were typically situated nearshore. This arrangement allowed vessels to make daily trips to the offshore area, necessitating minimal wireless communication. However, since 2010 taller and more powerful wind turbines have become the norm, and countries like Belgium have enacted laws mandating construction further from the shore. Consequently, vessels spend more time away, requiring larger crews and better connectivity.
Utilizing VSAT (or 3G whenever available) was common, but it proved costly and limited in speed. To meet workers’ increasing data transfer needs and larger vessels spending extended periods at sea, private LTE/4.9G solutions with 5G readiness have become crucial for operators to ensure efficient communication capabilities and keep up with the growing demands of offshore operations.
The emergence of Industry 4.0 trends is also expected to impact data transfer requirements within the wind farm industry significantly. Internet of Things (IoT), predictive maintenance, drones, and AR/VR applications demand lower latency, higher bandwidth, and increased speeds, requiring wind farms to proactively embrace 5G readiness to prepare for their digital transformation.
Similarly, efficient communication through push-to-talk (PTT) and push-to-video – as well as sharing substantial data files like construction blueprints – are crucial for the collaboration of workers stationed at turbine towers, on helicopters, onboard vessels, and onshore during the construction phase. This seamless communication facilitates teamwork, remote assistance, emergency services communication, and connectivity with loved ones.
Wind farms now face the challenge of providing wireless connectivity at unprecedented speeds, surpassing the original needs a decade ago. However, the industry must find a solution that balances efficiency and cost-effectiveness to meet these evolving demands effectively.
Solution | Nokia PLTE – Supported by NDAC – Offers A High-Speed, Dependable Solution
The cutting-edge Nokia private LTE system, designed to be 5G-ready, seamlessly integrates with the existing mesh network, offering a high-speed, dependable solution with broadband bandwidth and low latency for the wind farm’s communication needs.
To establish coverage across the wind farm, wireless base stations (LTE/5G and mesh) are strategically installed on the substations and some turbine towers, all connected to the shore through fiber connections. The vessels have mesh and 5G-ready equipment, empowering voice communication, data transfer, and even AR/VR remote assistance. The onboard network is divided into separate work and leisure networks to manage traffic effectively. During construction, microwave connectivity serves as a redundant path when fiber still needs to be laid on the sea bed.
Result | Secure, Reliable Broadband Connectivity in the Belgian North Sea
Incorporating leaky feeders into the turbine tower ensures mobile connectivity for personnel during the construction phase, eliminating the need for access points or IP telephones on each floor inside the turbine. Moreover, each turbine has custom-designed wireless equipment to handle multiple sensors essential for predictive maintenance. These sensors collect valuable data such as temperature, vibration, humidity, and current, which is then utilized by analytic engines with machine learning capabilities to develop accurate turbine performance models and adjust maintenance programs in real-time. Opting for LTE/5G-ready private wireless networks for data transmission is a more cost-effective alternative to using optical interfaces in the sensors.
By harnessing the combination of 5G-ready private LTE and mesh networks, the entire Belgian North Sea region now enjoys secure, reliable, and broadband communication coverage, revolutionizing construction and maintenance practices in the area amid the Industry 4.0 era.
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Infinity Technology Solutions specializes in broadband and critical communications infrastructure development. We help our channel partners deploy private wireless, microwave backhaul, IP/MPLS, and optical networking technologies.
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