MOORING LINES OF FLOATING MARINE RENEWABLE ENERGY PLATFORMS AND THEIR SERVICE LIFE MANAGEMENT
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Summary
This paper reviews mooring line materials and technologies for floating marine renewable energy (MRE) platforms, with emphasis on floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs). It compares steel chains, steel spiral strands, wire ropes and synthetic fibre ropes: polyester, nylon, HMPE and aramid, highlighting their technical properties, economic considerations and suitability for different mooring configurations. Nylon ropes emerge as a particularly promising option for semi-submersible FOWTs due to their high compliance and load reduction capability, demonstrated in projects such as Floatgen and Mingyang Tiancheng. However, challenges remain in long-term durability and real-time condition monitoring. The paper introduces OPTI-LIFE, TTI’s software for predicting fibre rope residual strength and service life, verified with real commercial project application cases. With continued development, this tool aims to support reliable service life management and wider adoption of fibre rope moorings in future floating MRE systems.
Author(s): P. Wang, S. Banfield, S. Weller
