Abstract
Offshore wind energy is vital for achieving Europe’s 2050 net-zero emission targets. As nearshore sites become limited, expansion into deeper waters requires Floating Wind Turbine (FWT) technology and innovative, cost-effective solutions for large-scale installation and maintenance. Service Operation Vessels (SOVs) play a central role in enabling safe and reliable personnel transfer through Walk-to-Work (W2W) operations. To minimise downtime and reduce the Levelised Cost of Electricity (LCOE), it is critical to enhance seakeeping performance and optimise installation methods by reducing vessel motions during operations. This research addresses the evolving need for more efficient floater-to-floater simulation methodologies by introducing and validating a cost-effective approach based on Relative Motion RAOs. It also addresses a gap in the existing literature by comparing W2W performance results for bottom-fixed and floating wind applications.