Section 2 Scope

2.1.1 This document applies to project certification of offshore wind farms, for both fixed and floating structures, although most of the principles can also be applied to onshore developments.

2.2.1 This document does not address local regulations or standards that may apply to the WT’s site, including safety and environmental regulations, electrical compatibility and grid connection requirements. Evaluation for compliance with such requirements can be undertaken by LR, as an addition to the certification scope required by IEC 61400-22 Wind turbines – Part 22: Conformity testing and certification and IECRE OD-502 Project Certification Scheme.

2.2.2 IEC 61400-22 Wind turbines – Part 22: Conformity testing and certification and IECRE OD-502 Project Certification Scheme do not directly address requirements for manned WT facilities or ‘other installations’ associated with an offshore wind farm. Manned offshore WT facilities or ‘other installations’ will be subject to special considerations on a case-by-case basis.

2.2.3 This document does not address requirements for vessels used for transportation, installation or maintenance of offshore WTs. For detailed guidance on this aspect, refer to the LR documents Guidance Notes for Wind Turbine Installation Vessels and Guidance Notes for the Classification of Wind Farm Service Vessels.

2.3.1 IEC 61400-22 Wind turbines – Part 22: Conformity testing and certification and IECRE OD-502 Project Certification Scheme break the project certification scope into thirteen modules, of which three are optional, plus one further module covering the operational phase. Each module is addressed in detail in Ch 2 Project Certification Modules.

2.3.2 The certification modules are shown in Figure 1.2.1 IEC 61400-22 and OD-502 Project certification modules.

Figure 1.2.1 IEC 61400-22 and OD-502 Project certification modules

2.3.3 IECRE OD-502 Project Certification Scheme further breaks the project design certification scope into eleven modules, of which three are optional. The project design certification modules are shown in Figure 1.2.2 OD-502 Project design certification modules. IECRE OD-502 Project Certification Scheme requires surveillance modules to be completed for the issue of a full project certificate.

2.3.4 IECRE OD-502 Project Certification Scheme additionally describes a site suitability evaluation which consists of five modules, of which one is optional.

2.3.5 The modular approach in IEC 61400-22 Wind turbines – Part 22: Conformity testing and certification and IECRE OD-502 Project Certification Scheme allows for conformity statements to be issued by the certification body for individual modules.

Figure 1.2.2 OD-502 Project design certification modules

Figure 1.2.3 OD-502 Site suitability evaluation modules

2.3.6 All mandatory project certification modules (as applicable to the asset being evaluated) must be completed in order to issue a project certificate. Should an applicant instruct LR to complete evaluations for selected modules, conformity statements can, however, be issued for the completed modules (noting that some modules are interdependent – refer to Ch 2 Project Certification Modules).

2.3.7 Deliverables also follow the modular structure, with evaluation reports and conformity statements being issued by the certification body for each of the project modules (including the operational and maintenance module) except for the final evaluation and project certificate modules. The final evaluation module is concluded with just an evaluation report, which results in the issue of the project design certificate or project certificate. The purpose of the evaluation reports is to provide further details of the certification body’s reviews, their findings including close-out of any comments, any outstanding issues, and a summary of the information reviewed during the evaluation. Interim evaluation reports can be issued for any of the project modules, as agreed with the client/applicant.

2.3.8 If a client (applicant) wishes to engage a certification body for evaluation of an early stage of their project design (e.g. basic engineering or front-end engineering design), a conformity statement can be issued on satisfactory completion of the evaluation, provided the stage of design that has been evaluated is clearly described on the statement and the supporting evaluation report (i.e. it must be made clear that the conformity statement does not represent certification of the detailed design). If the mandatory modules as defined in IECRE OD-502 Project Certification Scheme are completed, this will result in the issue of a site suitability evaluation conformity statement.

2.4.1 IECRE clarification sheets (CSHs) are used to provided uniform interpretation of IEC 61400-22 Wind turbines – Part 22: Conformity testing and certification, the IECRE Rules and operational documents (e.g. OD-501 and OD-502), as well as the standards used within these schemes (e.g. IEC 61400 series), to enable uniform application of the certification schemes.

2.4.2 CSHs are maintained and can be accessed on the IECRE webpage (www.iecre.org). The maintenance of the IEC Wind Turbine Certification Advisory Committee (WT CAC) clarification sheets has been taken over by IECRE, and these can also be accessed on the aforementioned IECRE webpage.

2.5.1 IECRE decisions (https://decisions.iecre.org/iecre/iecrede.nsf/re_h.xsp?v=remc) where relevant and applicable to the project certification scheme will be taken into consideration and incorporated within the project work instructions.

2.6.1 If an applicant (client) wishes to engage different certification bodies for different project certification modules, LR will review and recognise evaluation reports and conformity statements issued by accredited ISO/IEC 17065 Conformity assessment – Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes and services and IECRE approved RECBs, as applicable per the certification scheme. By recognising the evaluation reports and conformity statements, LR is not taking responsibility for the other certification bodies’ certification work. Arrangements for managing interfaces between modules and for receiving information required in support of modules completed by other certification bodies should be in place before work starts.

2.6.2 The IECRE CSH CBC 6A which provides guidelines with respect to recognition of certification, evaluation reports and conformity statements between certification bodies, including the above items, shall apply.

2.7.1 Interfaces between the different certification modules, and in particular where more than one certification body is engaged, should be carefully considered and evaluated to ensure that the required inputs are provided and that there are no gaps in the required project certification scheme due to inaccurate assumptions or missing information, or otherwise between the different project modules.

2.8.1 Where National Requirements apply, such as in Denmark (BEK nr 1773 af 30/11/2020), Germany (BSH 7005), the Netherlands (RWS 6.16g) and the USA (30 CFR 585, Subpart G), the IEC 61400-22 Wind turbines – Part 22: Conformity testing and certification and IECRE OD-502 Project Certification Scheme certification schemes can be utilised to meet all or part of those National Requirements. Where additional requirements apply these shall be agreed and recorded before work starts, and updated accordingly if any of these requirements change.

2.9.1 The project certification services provided by LR shall be executed by using LR’s offshore wind certification work instructions (WIs), aligned with the requirements of the IEC 61400-22 Wind turbines – Part 22: Conformity testing and certification and IECRE OD-502 Project Certification Scheme certification schemes, detailing the items that shall be evaluated and the steps to be followed for each individual module to achieve certification.

2.9.2 The WIs are project specific and shall be reviewed and amended, as required, prior to the execution of each project to ensure that the scope as agreed with the applicant has been correctly captured and recorded, including any specific National Requirements applicable.

2.9.3 The WIs shall be used to record the evaluation activities undertaken (e.g. design reviews, site surveillance, etc.) and to record comments/conditions, if any, that arise during the evaluation for these to be reflected in the module evaluation reports and conformity statements as required.

2.9.4 Before a module evaluation report can be completed and reviewed, each module evaluator shall populate the corresponding module WI and confirm the completion of the evaluation activities.

Provisional conformity statements and/or certificates may be issued if the evaluation reports make a clear recommendation to issue a provisional statement/certificate and only in cases where the outstanding items do not have an impact on the primary safety of the certified assets (non-safety critical). Provisional conformity statements and/or certificates should be limited to a maximum validity period of one (1) year and clearly state the outstanding items that should be addressed.

2.10.2 In particular circumstances, such as an external project stakeholder request, interim evaluation reports can be issued to the applicant, if requested, in order to report the work undertaken so far and the level of completion.