Offshore Grouting’s Vital Role in the Energy Transition
Our Commercial Director, Andy Venn, discusses how grouting is essential to creating a sustainable energy system.
Introduction
Right now, the continued use of fossil fuels to power our world is having a detrimental effect on the environment. The energy transition is vital to ensuring the earth is habitable for generations to come.
Offshore energy is critical to global decarbonisation. As humans strive for a world that is more sustainable, wind power is a large-scale, low-carbon clean electricity source with immense potential – as yet largely untapped. Additionally, wind power can support the production of green hydrogen, another source of sustainable energy utilised to decarbonise other sectors.
Why Offshore Energy Matters
As the global demand for electricity continues to grow, offshore sustainable energy infrastructure must keep apace to meet this demand.
Across the globe, countries have made ambitious pledges to reach sustainability goals, such as the EU Green Deal. Launched in 2020, it aims to transform the EU to be climate-neutral and sustainable by 2050, with a focus on decarbonising the economy and ensuring a just transition for all EU citizens. In the UK, the Net Zero Plan is a legally binding target to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. France and Sweden have similar goals. In the APAC region, China, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea are leading the way, but supply chain issues, local content requirements and financing pressures mean that not all the goals set for 2025 or 2030 will be met. The EIC Insight Report into the APAC region notes, for example, that “Australia leads the region in pipeline size, with an estimated 100 GW across 45 projects. None have reached construction. 97.83% of projects remain in the feasibility/planning stages. No offshore wind farms are expected to come online before 2030.”
Why is offshore wind the ideal energy resource?
- By reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels, especially in regions historically dependent on oil and gas imports, this will reduce countries’ exposure to price changes and geopolitical disruptions
- Wind energy produces zero carbon emissions during operation and by locating wind farms offshore – where wind speeds are higher and turbines can be much larger – they don’t use up valuable space needed for housing or farming
- It’s possible to deliver massive amounts of clean energy from a single project, nowadays often in the gigawatt (GW) range. 1 GW is roughly the output of a large nuclear or fossil fuel power plant and a 1 GW offshore wind farm can power approximately 1 million homes, although the exact figures will vary depending on the country and energy consumption
Grouting
What vital part does grouting play in achieving net-zero goals?
Offshore grouting takes on various forms when we talk about grouting for offshore wind foundations. It can be used to make the critical structural connection between the foundation and the seabed, or as a protective barrier to inhibit water from reaching the bolts, when bolting forms the main structural connection in some monopile / transition piece types of foundations. . With turbine towers now reaching heights upwards of 260m (as high as two Statues of Liberty) and blade lengths of 120 metres or more (longer than a football/soccer field) the structural integrity of the foundation of the system has to be robust, whatever the type of foundation – monopile, jacket or suction bucket (caisson). High-quality, fatigue-resistant grout ensures that wind turbines:
- operate safely and continuously for a life cycle of 25–35 years
- can withstand the harsh conditions offshore (waves, wind and extreme temperatures)
- deliver predictable energy output without costly downtime
Grouting plays an essential, though often overlooked, role in achieving the world’s net-zero goals by ensuring the stability, longevity and safety of offshore wind turbine foundations – the literal base of the offshore global energy transition.
Grouting: Misunderstood but Essential
Despite its critical role in offshore wind installations, grouting doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves. In some quarters, it’s misrepresented as ‘old technology’, slow to install, overly reliant on weather windows, or difficult to inspect. Others see it as hard to certify or inherently risky.
But these perceptions can disregard the facts.
For instance, anyone involved in construction, whether onshore or offshore, is aware that schedules are largely very dependent on weather. As for being ‘old’ technology or slow to install, although the industry is not trying to reinvent the wheel, there have been remarkable innovations in recent years, both in grout formulations and mixer designs. Alongside the materials and equipment, reputable companies will provide the necessary oversight to ensure the quality and consistency of the grouted connection.
Grouting is a proven, robust and certifiable process, supported by established DNV guidelines, type approval frameworks and trained, licensed applicators.
Modern grout formulations are non-toxic to marine environments and many are classed by CEFAS (The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science) as non-CHARMABLE.
Once cured, grout creates a volume-stable, zero-maintenance connection – unlike bolted connections, which need regular inspection and upkeep.
And, while weather and curing conditions are always a consideration offshore, FoundOcean’s experience and equipment enable installation efficiencies that require reduced weather windows, improving scheduling confidence.
This commitment to overcoming practical challenges is exactly what drives our continued innovation – from faster mixing systems to low-carbon cementitious materials and smarter foundation solutions.
Innovation
Our innovations at FoundOcean have enabled the physical scaling up of the offshore wind industry by:
- reducing installation time through advanced mixing and pumping systems
- allowing projects to be deployed in deeper waters and harsher climates
- supporting the shift to next-generation XXL monopiles as well as floating wind farms
By developing lower-carbon grout formulations, natural fibres fabric formworks, and more energy-efficient mixing systems, we have been able to reduce the embodied carbon and waste in offshore installations. Our well-loved, high-output Recirculating Jet Mixer, first developed in the 1970s, has been scaled up (and down!) to meet the ever-expanding requirements of today’s offshore wind structures. Every efficiency contributes to lowering the overall carbon footprint of renewable energy infrastructure.
FoundOcean Grouting
With almost six decades of offshore experience, FoundOcean is a trusted global leader in foundation grouting, delivering high-quality, dependable solutions to support the rapid expansion of offshore wind energy. From iconic projects like Seagreen, East Anglia ONE and Hornsea in the UK to numerous other developments worldwide, from the shores of Europe to Taiwan and the USA, our expert teams have consistently ensured the structural integrity of offshore foundations through reliable and innovative grouting services.
Seagreen Offshore Wind Farm in Scotland is a key example of the success of the suction bucket. The wind farm, which has been fully operational for around two years now, is home to the world’s deepest wind turbine, successfully installed using suction bucket foundations, grouted by FoundOcean. The 2,000-tonne turbine foundation sits at a depth of over 58 metres.
FoundOcean’s long legacy in offshore oil and gas has enabled a seamless and successful transition into renewables, a shift reflected in our continued growth and impact in the global energy transition. We have a range of experience and expertise in a huge range of offshore scenarios, so you know that whatever a project may throw at us, FoundOcean is well positioned to tackle it.
Our proven experience and wraparound support from the Venterra Group makes FoundOcean a low-risk, cost-effective, reliable and industry-trusted partner for developers.
Conclusion
As the energy transition ramps up, offshore wind stands out as a cornerstone of a clean, secure energy future. This transition relies not only on turbine technology and energy policy, but also on the foundational elements that make these massive installations possible. Grouting plays a vital role in ensuring the long-term durability, safety and performance of offshore turbines.
FoundOcean’s decades of offshore experience, continuous innovation and unwavering commitment to quality have positioned us as the trusted leader in the offshore grouting. FoundOcean is actively enabling the next generation of clean energy at scale.
Looking ahead, the momentum behind offshore renewables is undeniable, but so is the need for collaboration. Industry, investors and governments must work together to accelerate project delivery, scale up supporting grid infrastructure, keep ahead of supply chain demands and champion the energy skills transition. As a proud member of the Venterra Group, engineering, building and supporting the operations of wind energy developments around the world, FoundOcean is ready to share its expertise, support new projects worldwide and help deliver the resilient offshore infrastructure our future depends on.
The energy transition is well underway. Let’s make sure it’s built on solid ground.
For more information on FoundOcean’s experience and capabilities, contact the team on +44 1506 440330 or email info@foundocean.com