FoundOcean, specialists in subsea grouting for the offshore energy construction industry, have signed a strategic agreement with chemical company BASF.
“Marrying BASF’s world-leading chemical manufacturing capabilities and FoundOcean’s extensive offshore grouting experience means that foundation installers and wind farm developers can be confident in the integrity of the grouted connection”, assured Luc Westhof, key account manager for Wind Power at BASF.
BASF’s MasterFlow 9500 is the only product to have obtained the Type Approval Certificate (TAC) from certifying body DNV.GL. Its impressive, ‘fit for purpose’ properties include rapid strength build-up, even at low temperatures, supporting increased foundation installation rates. Such material innovation is increasingly important in order to reduce the cost of offshore wind foundation installation; FoundOcean and BASF plan to use their combined knowledge and experience to facilitate further development in this area.
FoundOcean Managing Director Jim Bell regards the agreement as an opportunity to ensure increased efficiency when installing offshore wind structures. “Formalising the long term relationship between the two companies will secure the trust needed for joint investment in material development that will help set the standard for service delivery and product offering during offshore wind foundation installation”, comments Bell.
