Self-drilling anchor

Self-drilling anchors are tubular piles that are embedded into the seabed to secure a floating offshore wind turbine in place. They are connected to the floating turbine structure via mooring lines.

Description of Manufacturing Process
Contrary to other pile anchors, the fabrication of self-drilling pile anchors requires significant CNC machining. The anchor's tubular sections are shaped using lathes. Several parts of the anchor require further milling, drilling and tapping.

Description of Supply Chain
The floating offshore wind industry is relatively nascent, with large-scale supply chains not yet established. Self-drilling anchors require more complex manufacturing processes than other types of anchors and are therefore less likely to be manufactured in the vicinity of each project's installation port.

Scottish Opportunity
Relevance to Scottish Supply Chain: Medium

Several Scotland and UK-based companies are developing such anchors for the FOW market. If their commercialisation is a success, local suppliers are likely to be involved in their fabrication.