Floating Offshore Wind
The Right Solid Ballast Solution for Floating Offshore Wind
Ballast Technologies, Inc (BTI) has been providing quayside and offshore solid ballast systems design, engineering, supply, and installation since 1983.
Solid Ballast Systems:
Design
Engineering
Supply
Installation
Versatile Solid Ballast Stability Solutions
Solid ballast is a crucial component in the construction of many floating offshore wind platforms. These platforms, also known as floating wind turbines, are an essential part of the renewable energy industry. They are designed to operate in deep waters where fixed wind turbines are not practical.
Solid ballast is used for floating platforms which require ballast weights to be located below a central buoyancy tank in order to achieve stability. These floating wind turbines rely on solid ballast to ensure they remain stable in harsh sea conditions.
Every wind farm must select a floating platform and turbine design to suit the particular environmental conditions, water depths, and local infrastructure of the installation location. This means that the type of solid ballast required for one project may not be suitable for another.
As a result, Ballast Technologies Inc. supplies and installs a range of solid ballast solutions. Our affiliation with Universal Minerals International, Inc, a leading industrial minerals supplier since 1960, allows us timely access to material around the globe.
Economical Permanent Ballast Solutions
There are many types of solid ballast materials available for use in floating offshore wind platforms. These materials include concrete, steel, pumpable and removable fixed ballast, and other heavy aggregates. The type of ballast used will depend on the specific requirements of the platform and installation methodology.
We have the resources, capabilities and experience to supply and install a wide range of ballast materials for every application including:
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Bulk aggregate
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High density concrete
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Prefabricated concrete block
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Ballast Technologies Perma Ballast® pumpable/removable high density ballast.
Available densities range from 1.6 t/m3 (100 PCF) to 5.2 t/m3 (325 PCF) and higher.
We are committed to providing sustainable and environmentally responsible solutions for the renewable energy industry. Our solid ballast products are designed to minimize overall project cost as well as the impact on the environment and help ensure that renewable energy projects are sustainable for years to come.
Minimizing Maintenance Costs
Ballast Technologies, Inc, specializes in providing high-quality solid ballast solutions for floating offshore wind platforms. Our team of experts can work with you to design and install permanent ballast that meet your specific requirements and provide the stability and security your wind turbines need to operate at maximum efficiency.
One of the key benefits of our solid ballast solutions is that they are inert and require little to no maintenance. Perma Ballast®, for example, is pH neutral, completely inorganic, inert, and non-corrosive. Perma Ballast® is also relatively impermeable to oxygen. As a result, in over 35 years, we have never heard of an instance of corrosion occurring on tank walls that have been covered with Perma Ballast®.
As opposed to water ballast, which requires expensive water ballast treatment systems and periodic maintenance, our ballast systems minimize or eliminate maintenance costs. Since onsite maintenance is time consuming and poses inherent risks, utilizing a solid ballast that does not require maintenance reduces the project’s levelized cost of energy (LCOE).