Enabling high productivity cost effective welding for the power sector
Acronym: HiWeld
Funding body: Innovate UK
Status: Project
The demand for ‘thick section’ steel structures in power generation is strong and growing – primarily driven by the need for off-shore wind towers and foundations structures. Within the UK there is the demand for 1,000 structures or 1m tonnes of steel per annum. The fabrication of structures is currently limited by the welding time (and cost). To produce a typical 40m long monopile (nominally 60mm thick) takes approximately 6,000hrs. Electron beam (EB) welding system scan reduce this welding time to less than 200hrs, equivalent to a reduction in cost of over 85%.