Advancing Offshore Wind Farm Operations with Lidar Tech
24 Jan 2025
3 Min Read
CW Team
For nearly a decade, the integration of ZX Lidars technology into Equans' Meteorological Monitoring Module has played a pivotal role in improving the safety and efficiency of offshore wind farm operations. This sophisticated module provides crucial real-time environmental data from offshore substations. The optional feature to integrate ZX Lidars technology into the module significantly enhances its capabilities by remotely providing highly accurate wind data above the platform. This level of accuracy is particularly important for ensuring the safety of helicopter landings and takeoffs on offshore platforms, where challenging conditions demand reliable data.
The ZX 300M wind Lidar is strategically deployed on existing offshore substations, utilising infrastructure already in place to minimise additional setup costs and complexity. This Lidar-enabled approach enhances safety for personnel whilst also providing the opportunity to optimise turbine performance and site operations. By providing real-time, actionable wind data from 10m to 300m the system enables owners and operators to maintain operations that are efficient, safe, and cost-effective.
The Lidar data also supports continual power curve assessments, benchmarking turbine performance against expected output. Early detection of performance anomalies allows operators to plan and execute maintenance proactively, reducing unplanned downtime and optimising resource allocation.
Alain Goddyn, Section Manager Marine at Equans commented: “Over the past nine years, Equans and ZX Lidars have seen significant demand for our Meteorological Monitoring Module with integrated ZX 300M wind Lidar. Combining expertise in offshore engineering and design with an industry-leading wind measurement system delivers something unique to a challenging market. Offshore wind farms face many challenges, and we believe this technological advancement provides an innovative solution to enhance safety, efficiency, and optimisation at offshore sites. We are delighted the industry recognises this as a cost-effective way to add value to offshore substations.�
ZX Lidars provides industry-leading wind lidar products, ZX 300, ZX 300M and ZX TM for wind energy and meteorological applications. These Lidars deliver accurate wind measurements in both onshore and offshore applications at measurement heights / ranges across the full swept area of the blades of modern wind turbines, and beyond. With more than 30 million hours of operation in the field and over 10,000 deployments (and counting), ZX Lidars has pioneered the use of Lidar in the wind industry. The company is proud of the many world firsts it has achieved with customers including: upwind measurements from a turbine nacelle, turbine wake studies, offshore deployments of both fixed and floating wind lidar, an industry-accepted validation process, re-financing and re-powering of a wind farm, successful demonstration of measurement accuracy in a wind tunnel and total wind project financing from a lidar without need for a met mast.
Equans, a subsidiary of the Bouygues group, is a world leader in energy & services, operating in over 20 countries. With a historical footprint and a workforce of nearly 90,000 highly skilled professionals, the company has developed a strong foundation of technical expertise. Equans excels in areas such as HVAC, Cooling & Fire Protection, Facility Management, Digital & ICT, Electrical, Mechanical & Robotics, offering a unique combination of capabilities. With its deep understanding of various industries, Equans is well-positioned to support clients through modernization and sustainable development transitions.
For nearly a decade, the integration of ZX Lidars technology into Equans' Meteorological Monitoring Module has played a pivotal role in improving the safety and efficiency of offshore wind farm operations. This sophisticated module provides crucial real-time environmental data from offshore substations. The optional feature to integrate ZX Lidars technology into the module significantly enhances its capabilities by remotely providing highly accurate wind data above the platform. This level of accuracy is particularly important for ensuring the safety of helicopter landings and takeoffs on offshore platforms, where challenging conditions demand reliable data.
The ZX 300M wind Lidar is strategically deployed on existing offshore substations, utilising infrastructure already in place to minimise additional setup costs and complexity. This Lidar-enabled approach enhances safety for personnel whilst also providing the opportunity to optimise turbine performance and site operations. By providing real-time, actionable wind data from 10m to 300m the system enables owners and operators to maintain operations that are efficient, safe, and cost-effective.
The Lidar data also supports continual power curve assessments, benchmarking turbine performance against expected output. Early detection of performance anomalies allows operators to plan and execute maintenance proactively, reducing unplanned downtime and optimising resource allocation.
Alain Goddyn, Section Manager Marine at Equans commented: “Over the past nine years, Equans and ZX Lidars have seen significant demand for our Meteorological Monitoring Module with integrated ZX 300M wind Lidar. Combining expertise in offshore engineering and design with an industry-leading wind measurement system delivers something unique to a challenging market. Offshore wind farms face many challenges, and we believe this technological advancement provides an innovative solution to enhance safety, efficiency, and optimisation at offshore sites. We are delighted the industry recognises this as a cost-effective way to add value to offshore substations.�
ZX Lidars provides industry-leading wind lidar products, ZX 300, ZX 300M and ZX TM for wind energy and meteorological applications. These Lidars deliver accurate wind measurements in both onshore and offshore applications at measurement heights / ranges across the full swept area of the blades of modern wind turbines, and beyond. With more than 30 million hours of operation in the field and over 10,000 deployments (and counting), ZX Lidars has pioneered the use of Lidar in the wind industry. The company is proud of the many world firsts it has achieved with customers including: upwind measurements from a turbine nacelle, turbine wake studies, offshore deployments of both fixed and floating wind lidar, an industry-accepted validation process, re-financing and re-powering of a wind farm, successful demonstration of measurement accuracy in a wind tunnel and total wind project financing from a lidar without need for a met mast.
Equans, a subsidiary of the Bouygues group, is a world leader in energy & services, operating in over 20 countries. With a historical footprint and a workforce of nearly 90,000 highly skilled professionals, the company has developed a strong foundation of technical expertise. Equans excels in areas such as HVAC, Cooling & Fire Protection, Facility Management, Digital & ICT, Electrical, Mechanical & Robotics, offering a unique combination of capabilities. With its deep understanding of various industries, Equans is well-positioned to support clients through modernization and sustainable development transitions.
Next Story
MoHUA Plans New Role for Smart City SPVs
In a significant policy move, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has issued an advisory encouraging the continued use and repurposing of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) formed under the Smart Cities Mission (SCM). This marks a step toward sustaining urban transformation by leveraging institutional capabilities and infrastructure developed over the past decade.Initiated in 2015, the Smart Cities Mission introduced a new era of urban planning in India, with each of the 100 selected cities forming SPVs under the Companies Act, 2013. These entities, jointly owned by state government..
Next Story
ADB Approves $110 Million Loan to Boost Skills in Gujarat
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 109.97 million (Rs 9.27 billion) results-based loan to support Gujarat’s efforts to become a global industrial hub by developing a future-ready, skilled workforce.The funding will back the Gujarat skills development programme, led by the Department of Labour, Skill Development and Employment in collaboration with Kaushalya: The Skill University (KSU). The initiative aims to equip the workforce with advanced, industry-aligned skills to meet rising employment demand in high-growth sectors.According to ADB, the programme seeks to strengthen in..
Next Story
SDAL Tests Rudrastra UAV and Bhargavastra Defence System
Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL) has successfully completed a key flight test of its indigenous Hybrid VTOL UAV Rudrastra at the Pokharan Firing Range, aligning with Indian Army performance benchmarks for mission adaptability, high endurance, precision engagement, and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capability.The trial marks a notable achievement in India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, underscoring advancements in home-grown military technology. The Rudrastra UAV demonstrated a mission radius exceeding 50 km with uninterrupted video relay, a total operational range of over..