Apollo and DOF have been awarded a project by the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult’s Floating Offshore Wind Centre of Excellence to improve how mooring lines and dynamic cables are monitored and repaired in floating wind farms.
As floating offshore wind scales up, the number of moorings and cables increases fast. Over 6GW of floating wind could be deployed in the UK by 2035, bringing thousands of subsea connections. Failures are expected, so practical strategies for monitoring and repair are essential.
This project, delivered under Apollo’s Marine Energies division, builds on successful collaborations between Apollo and DOF, including the study on gigawatt-scale mooring installations. It aims to provide clear and realistic guidance for future operations.
Why it matters – and what the project will deliver
As floating wind moves from pilot to commercial scale, the industry must prepare for efficient inspection, repair and maintenance at sea. This project will:
- Identify the most common failure points in moorings and cables
- Review the best monitoring tools and techniques
- Develop detailed repair guides with clear, usable visuals for offshore teams
- Compare costs and risks of different maintenance strategies
The work will be shaped through engagement with developers, vessel operators, insurers, and regulators to ensure recommendations reflect the needs and realities of the entire floating wind sector.
Sean Snee, Floating Offshore Wind Team Leader at ORE Catapult, said:
We look forward to working with Apollo and DOF Subsea UK on improving the effectiveness of mooring lines and dynamic cables at floating offshore wind farms. Understanding how and why components fail and how they can be improved will crucially drive down the time and cost of repairs within floating wind projects in the UK and across the world.
Will Brindley, Lead Naval Architect, Apollo said:
Understanding the specific requirements of mooring and cable repair is essential to minimise floating wind costs. The insight gained from this study will allow the next generation of gigawatt scale arrays to be designed, built, and operated with long-term integrity and maintainability in mind.
Mike Kearney, Renewables Project Manager, DOF Subsea UK said
The future of floating offshore wind depends on strong partnerships like this. We’re proud to be collaborating with Apollo again, bringing together innovation and operational know-how to help commercialise floating wind at scale.
As the UK pushes ahead with floating wind, knowing how to carry out safe and practical offshore repairs will be key. This project will help bring down costs, improve safety and make offshore systems more reliable – with the potential to shape future rules and design approaches.
Want to know more about our role in future offshore wind? Get in touch – renewables@apollo.engineer