Overview
IEC TS 62600-10:2015 (Edition 1.0 2015-03) is a Technical Specification from the IEC that provides uniform methodologies for the design and assessment of mooring systems for floating marine energy converters (MECs). It is intended for use across project stages - from preliminary mooring assessment to detailed design, installation, commissioning, in‑service inspection, maintenance and decommissioning of floating MEC plants. The specification applies to floating MEC units of any size or type in open water and highlights requirements specific to wave, tidal and other water current converters.
Key topics and technical requirements
The standard addresses the full lifecycle of mooring systems with focused technical topics, including:
- Types of mooring and anchoring systems: spread moorings (catenary, taut/semi‑taut), single point moorings (SPM) and a range of anchor types (drag‑embedment, pile, suction, gravity, plate, screw).
- Mooring line components: chain, wire rope, synthetic rope, clump weights, buoyancy aids, connectors and accessories.
- Design considerations and limit states: guidance for Ultimate (ULS), Accidental (ALS), Serviceability (SLS) and Fatigue (FLS) limit states relevant to MECs.
- External conditions and loading: metocean data, wave and current loading (low, wave‑frequency and high frequency), marine growth and environmental interactions.
- Analysis procedure and modelling: dynamic mooring analysis, coupled and uncoupled numerical models, metocean directionality, resonant response, and design situations tied to different limit states.
- Umbilical interactions: umbilical response, strength and clearance/offset considerations in mooring layouts.
- Safety, risk and ALARP: structured risk assessment methodology, consequence classification for mooring failure, mitigation measures, and documentation for risk acceptance.
- In‑service inspection and maintenance: proof loading, testing, component replacement, and procedures for in‑air, splash zone and submerged mooring sections, plus commissioning and decommissioning practices.
- Practical design support: sample mooring design and guidance annexes to assist engineers.
Applications and who uses it
IEC TS 62600-10 is used by:
- Marine and offshore engineers designing mooring systems for wave, tidal and current energy devices
- Project developers and owners planning floating MEC farms
- Installation contractors and subsea specialists responsible for anchor and mooring deployment
- Asset managers and operations & maintenance teams establishing inspection and maintenance regimes
- Certifiers, risk assessors and regulators evaluating mooring safety and environmental impact
Practical applications include selecting mooring concepts, verifying anchor holding capacity, performing dynamic analyses, defining inspection intervals, and documenting risk mitigation for deployment in open water sites.
Related standards
Refer to other parts of the IEC 62600 series and applicable marine/offshore standards for complementary guidance on MEC electrical systems, testing, reliability and site assessment.