Cutting Critical Path Time in Offshore Wind: How Blackfish's Tower Rapid Installation Clamp (TRIC) Delivers Real Savings and Smarter Deployment

Why Faster Matters More Than Ever

The offshore wind sector is entering a new phase. As turbine capacities increase and gigawatt-scale farms become the norm, the pressure to reduce time, cost, and risk during installation intensifies. Every hour saved on the critical path can translate into millions of pounds saved in vessel costs, reduced weather-related delays, and earlier power generation.

Installation vessels are expensive, with day rates ranging from £200k to £400k. As demand increases, so too does vessel scarcity. Conventional sea-fastening solutions for towers on vessels are receiving increasing attention as developers look to gain a competitive edge and minimise downtime during construction. Releasing and clamping towers can take up to three hours per operation, significantly limiting the weather windows available for tower installation.

Blackfish Engineering's Tower Rapid Installation Clamp (TRIC) is designed to solve this problem. It offers a radically faster and safer way to clamp turbine towers during quayside handling, transit, and offshore installation.

What Is TRIC? A Smarter System for Faster Installations

TRIC is a modular, hydraulically actuated clamping system that replaces the traditional use of bolted fasteners in tower sea-fastening. It secures the base of a wind turbine tower to a vessel or quayside structure in just 15 minutes - a process that previously took hours.

Using quick-actuating clamp segments powered by hydraulics, TRIC removes manual handling from the equation. It's designed to be scalable for different tower diameters and adaptable to nacelles, blades, and transition pieces in future configurations.

The system is:

• Turbine-agnostic

• Repeatable and modular

• Ready for automation and integration with vessel systems

  
  

Whether operating at port or offshore, TRIC enables faster turnaround, greater repeatability, and a reduction in risk.

Artists impression of the Tower Rapid Installation Clamp (TRIC)

The Value Case: Time, Cost, and Safety

Time Savings

TRIC reduces clamping time by over 6 hours per turbine. On a 125-turbine farm, this equates to more than 30 days of vessel time saved on critical path operations.

Cost Savings

At a conservative £200k per vessel day, the system offers direct project savings of £6M–£12M per project.

Project Risk Mitigation

More efficient clamping means:

• Greater utilisation of tight weather windows

• The potential to complete installation in two seasons instead of three

• Earlier Commercial Operation Dates (COD)

  
  

HSE Risk Reduction

TRIC removes personnel from high-risk zones during clamping, eliminating manual bolting and repetitive handling. It introduces automation in a task traditionally dependent on manual labour.

2-part Cast Clamp Prototype single clamp system, and FE of tower flange segment of a 9.5MW WTG

Deployment-Led Engineering in Action

TRIC is an example of what we call deployment-led engineering. It was designed not just to meet strength and geometry requirements but to address the real constraints that developers and installers face offshore.

Our engineering process focuses on:

• Interface compatibility with vessels, towers, and transition pieces

• Repeatable operations for serial installation campaigns

• Minimised manufacturing complexity through modularity and casting optimisation

The Engineering Behind the Innovation

The TRIC system has undergone intensive simulation and mechanical design refinement:

• Clamp segments use dual-casting geometry optimised through topology analysis to reduce weight and stress concentrations.

• Hydraulic actuation ensures reliable, hands-free operation.

• Sliding rails and guide systems enable the clamp to move smoothly into place and retract safely after installation.

  
  

The solution is integrated with sophisticated strain gauges to monitor loads during transit, with multiple redundancies built into the system, to ensure safety at all times.

From Concept to Field-Ready

Having completed the conceptual phase, Blackfish is now progressing to a full prototype and test campaign:

• A single clamp segment will be manufactured and proof-loaded to validate strength and performance.

• The next phase will deliver a complete system design ready for commercial-scale deployment.

  
  

Our ambition is to bring TRIC to market by 2028 through collaboration with strategic partners.

Beyond Towers: A Platform Technology

While TRIC is initially designed for tower base clamping, the system architecture supports broader use cases:

• Nacelle clamping

• Blade transportation

• Transition piece handling

  
  

The modular design means it can be adapted to different component geometries with minimal redesign. This flexibility makes TRIC a future-proof solution as turbine sizes grow and new handling challenges emerge.

The storyboard above illustrates how the clamp operates, depicting the single cast [SC] piece solution

A Strategic Fit for Developers, OEMs, and Installers

TRIC offers unique value across the offshore wind supply chain:

• Developers gain a more reliable, cost-efficient path to COD

• OEMs benefit from a clamp that supports modular tower design and high-volume production

• Installation contractors reduce vessel time, HSE risk, and complexity

  
  

By engaging Blackfish early in the design or FEED stage, project teams can make installation efficiency a core design principle - not an afterthought.

Ready for FEED Studies and Deployment Planning

TRIC is now at a stage where it can be integrated into project planning. Blackfish is actively seeking:

• Developers looking to improve installation ROI

• OEMs planning new tower interface designs

• Contractors seeking vessel integration strategies

  
  

We offer FEED study support to help evaluate:

• Time and cost-saving potential of TRIC integration

• Custom clamp adaptation for specific tower geometries

• System-level install strategy optimisation

Let’s Talk

If your project involves large-scale turbine handling or you're exploring new install methods, now is the time to explore how TRIC can support your goals.

Contact Blackfish to arrange a FEED study.

We can help you design with deployment in mind and deliver measurable savings on your project.

If you would like to learn more about how these insights could support your projects or discuss how Blackfish Engineering can help bring your offshore ambitions to fruition, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.