The North Sea is becoming increasingly important to the Netherlands and Europe. As activities continue to grow, more and more installations are being added. Because these assets are critically important, they must continue to operate reliably at all times. However, maintenance at sea is labour‑intensive, risky, and costly. In addition, there is a shortage of maintenance technicians.
This film shows how smart maintenance can help keep pace with the growing maintenance demands in the North Sea.
00:00:14:01 - 00:00:18:06
The Netherlands and Europe are using the North Sea more and more.
00:00:18:08 - 00:00:22:08
The sea is gaining importance, in particular for our energy,
00:00:22:10 - 00:00:23:13
transport,
00:00:23:15 - 00:00:25:07
and security.
00:00:25:09 - 00:00:27:21
As such, we are becoming increasingly dependent
00:00:27:24 - 00:00:30:24
on the assets required for this purpose.
00:00:31:01 - 00:00:34:13
So, these installations must be well maintained.
00:00:34:15 - 00:00:39:05
However, many components are currently inspected once a year
00:00:39:07 - 00:00:44:15
even though minor damage can shut down assets within a season.
00:00:44:17 - 00:00:47:00
Maintenance work is risky.
00:00:47:02 - 00:00:48:12
Especially at sea.
00:00:48:15 - 00:00:52:23
Technicians work there at a height of up to one hundred and fifty metres
00:00:53:01 - 00:00:55:10
while the wind is stronger than on land,
00:00:55:16 - 00:00:57:01
currents are strong,
00:00:57:07 - 00:01:00:20
and the waves can reach more than twenty metres in height.
00:01:00:22 - 00:01:05:24
Moreover maintenance at sea is costly because of the time it takes.
00:01:06:01 - 00:01:07:23
Besides the long travel times
00:01:08:01 - 00:01:10:09
much must be organised in advance.
00:01:10:15 - 00:01:12:16
For example, transport,
00:01:12:18 - 00:01:14:06
materials,
00:01:14:08 - 00:01:16:06
and qualified staff.
00:01:16:08 - 00:01:20:15
But, when no defects need fixing during maintenance,
00:01:20:17 - 00:01:23:10
it was a underused trip.
00:01:23:12 - 00:01:26:16
The growing number of activities in the North Sea means
00:01:26:18 - 00:01:28:20
that there will be more assets
00:01:28:22 - 00:01:33:06
and these will be located further out to sea.
00:01:33:08 - 00:01:36:16
If we do not change our approach to maintenance,
00:01:36:18 - 00:01:41:01
then progressively more money and technicians are needed.
00:01:41:03 - 00:01:43:24
This when maintenance is already costly.
00:01:44:03 - 00:01:48:16
And the Netherlands and Europe already have a shortage of technicians.
00:01:48:18 - 00:01:54:09
So, how do we properly maintain all of the new assets?
00:01:54:11 - 00:01:58:17
Increasingly more organisations are opting for smart maintenance.
00:01:58:21 - 00:02:02:22
It is also used quite often in daily life.
00:02:02:24 - 00:02:06:24
Smart maintenance always allows you to know the state of assets,
00:02:07:04 - 00:02:10:09
because sensors are constantly measuring.
00:02:10:11 - 00:02:12:22
For example, vibrations,
00:02:12:24 - 00:02:14:01
odour
00:02:14:04 - 00:02:15:18
and temperature.
00:02:15:20 - 00:02:21:24
This data is used to determine the best time for preventive maintenance.
00:02:22:01 - 00:02:28:15
In addition, it ensures natural and deliberate damage is noticed earlier.
00:02:28:17 - 00:02:31:15
Smart maintenance has many advantages.
00:02:31:17 - 00:02:34:07
For example, it reduces costs
00:02:34:09 - 00:02:36:01
and boosts results.
00:02:36:03 - 00:02:40:02
Because not only does this approach help prevent defects,
00:02:40:04 - 00:02:42:09
assets also work better
00:02:42:12 - 00:02:44:13
and last longer.
00:02:44:15 - 00:02:46:16
That is sustainable.
00:02:46:18 - 00:02:51:15
Just as technicians do not have to go to sea as often.
00:02:51:17 - 00:02:56:06
Additionally, smart maintenance makes better use of technicians.
00:02:56:08 - 00:02:58:24
Because many tasks can be automated,
00:02:59:05 - 00:03:01:09
such as inspections,
00:03:01:11 - 00:03:03:11
planning
00:03:03:13 - 00:03:04:24
and orders,
00:03:05:01 - 00:03:09:04
and technicians only go to sea when absolutely necessary.
00:03:09:08 - 00:03:11:13
Their work not only becomes safer,
00:03:11:15 - 00:03:17:00
this also allows them to focus mainly on the essential tasks.
00:03:17:02 - 00:03:21:17
If the Netherlands and Europe want to
make proper use of smart maintenance,
00:03:21:19 - 00:03:25:09
it requires at least three changes.
00:03:25:11 - 00:03:29:21
There are still few communication networks and sensors in the North Sea.
00:03:30:01 - 00:03:34:20
While these are needed for smart maintenance.
00:03:34:22 - 00:03:37:15
As the manager of offshore infrastructure,
00:03:37:18 - 00:03:40:16
Rijkswaterstaat is now improving on this front.
00:03:40:22 - 00:03:44:08
In addition, it would really help if some rules were changed.
00:03:44:11 - 00:03:48:11
For example, if unmanned drones are permitted,
00:03:48:15 - 00:03:53:09
then technicians can manage more maintenance tasks from land.
00:03:53:11 - 00:03:57:10
Finally, improvements are possible in asset design.
00:03:57:12 - 00:04:01:12
To ensure assets can tolerate marine conditions for longer
00:04:01:14 - 00:04:05:09
and better support smart maintenance.
00:04:05:11 - 00:04:12:03
So, there are increasingly more Dutch and
European activities in the North Sea.
00:04:12:05 - 00:04:15:21
These are important for the energy transition,
00:04:15:23 - 00:04:18:03
our security, and more.
00:04:18:09 - 00:04:24:14
Maintaining all of the new assets is only feasible with smart maintenance.
00:04:24:16 - 00:04:29:05
Let’s quickly make this approach possible for the entire North Sea.