Sif, KCI and Smulders are jointly developing a new product line called ‘The revival of the Tripod’. The Tripod foundation concept was last deployed offshore at Global Tech 1 (Germany) wind farm around 8 years ago.
The concept on its own was abandoned as a ‘live’ foundation of choice since then, because it was not competitive against the monopile at the water depths used in that era. The Tripod however has some specific advantages compared with the monopile and the jacket at water depths of 50 meters or greater as it is a sturdier construction than the monopile and easier to manufacture than a jacket. It will have its own specific niche and application in addition to those of the jacket and the monopile respectively. The Tripod will be jointly marketed in JV by Smulders and Sif. Production will take place in Roermond, the Netherlands (the central column) and at the Smulders Wallsend, Belgium site for the final integration. Bracings will be sourced in from UK suppliers. Serial production is foreseen to start in 2024.