ISO 29404:2015

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 29404
First edition
2015-12-01
Ships and marine technology —
Offshore wind energy — Supply chain
information flow
Navires et technologie maritime — Énergie éolienne offshore — Flux
d’informations dans la chaîne d’approvisionnement
Reference number
©
ISO 2015
© ISO 2015, Published in Switzerland
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ii © ISO 2015 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .v
Introduction .vi
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Abbreviated terms . 5
5 Supply chain processes: Planning, ordering and monitoring . 5
5.1 General . 5
5.2 Production of parts and components . 7
5.3 Inland and nearshore transport . 8
5.3.1 Transport by ground. 8
5.3.2 Transport by ship . 8
5.3.3 Transport by rail . 8
5.3.4 Transport by aircraft . 9
5.4 Storage . 9
5.5 Installation .10
5.6 Maintenance and repair .11
5.7 Return of load carriers and equipment .11
5.8 Decommissioning .12
6 Exchange of logistics information via EPCIS .12
7 Identification of relevant parties, objects and elements .14
7.1 General .14
7.2 Roles and parties .14
7.2.1 General.14
7.2.2 Manufacturer .14
7.2.3 Supplier .14
7.2.4 Transport operator .15
7.2.5 Logistic service provider.15
7.2.6 Port operator .15
7.2.7 Installation operator . .15
7.2.8 Project owner .15
7.2.9 Others .15
7.3 Identifying parties and business locations .15
7.3.1 General.15
7.3.2 Unique identifier for involved parties .15
7.3.3 Unique identifier for locations .16
7.4 Parts and components .16
7.4.1 General.16
7.4.2 Components .16
7.4.3 Bundles of components .17
7.4.4 Load carriers and lifting equipment .17
7.5 Transport media and machinery .17
7.5.1 General.17
7.5.2 Trucks .17
7.5.3 Trains and wagons .17
7.5.4 Vessels .18
7.5.5 Aircraft .18
7.5.6 Other .18
7.6 Container .18
7.7 Unique identification numbers .18
7.7.1 General.18
7.7.2 Representation of unique identifiers .18
7.7.3 Usage of existing unique numbering systems .19
8 Master data .19
9 Event data .20
9.1 General .20
9.2 General extensions of event fields .21
9.3 Plan data .21
9.4 Order data .23
9.5 Material flow event messages .24
9.6 Extensibility and specific implementation design .26
9.6.1 General.26
9.6.2 Vocabulary extensions .27
9.6.3 Event field extensions . .27
10 Data formats .28
11 Data carriers .28
11.1 General .28
11.2 Barcodes .28
11.3 RFID .29
11.4 Others .29
Annex A (normative) XML scheme for field extensions .30
Annex B (informative) Example messages in the offshore supply chain .31
Bibliography .36
iv © ISO 2015 – All rights reserved

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation on the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions related to conformity
assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the WTO principles in the Technical
Barriers to Trade (TBT) see the following URL: Foreword - Supplementary information
The committee responsible for this document is ISO/TC 8, Ships and marine technology.
This International Standard is part of a series for offshore structures of the offshore wind industry. The
full series consists of the following:
— ISO 29400, Ships and marine technology — Offshore wind energy — Port and marine operations
— ISO 29404, Ships and marine technology — Offshore wind energy — Supply chain information flow
Introduction
The complexity and the number of parties involved in the offshore wind farm (OWF) supply chains, both
during the construction and the operational phase with their repair and maintenance requirements,
depend on IT applications to facilitate planning and control of all physical processes.
In order to minimize frictions in data communication between different business parties, content and
format of data need to be standardized.
vi © ISO 2015 – All rights reserved

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 29404:2015(E)
Ships and marine technology — Offshore wind energy —
Supply chain information flow
1 Scope
This International Standard specifies content and format of the messages initiating and controlling the
physical movement of wind turbine generator (WTG) components from suppliers to the construction
site during the construction phase as well as for repair and maintenance purposes.
This International Standard is applicable to all organizations involved in the production, transportation,
storage and installation of WTG parts and related components. This International Standard is not
intended to be applied to substations.
Messages described in this International Standard covers only the operational aspects of logistics and
therefore this International Standard will represent only one aspect of the entire information flow.
This International Standard does not specify the technical implementation of appropriate IT products. It
rather provides an approach based on the EPC Information System (EPCIS) standard and describes the
usage of extension mechanisms provided by the EPCIS standard for the exchange of information in the
offshore wind supply chain. It aims at standardizing the exchange of essential logistic information. This
International Standard specifies elementary informational needs of involved parties in the offshore
supply chain and defines mechanisms for the exchange of this information via the EPCIS. Due to the
high degree of specialization along different offshore supply chains, partners exchanging information
might require mechanisms for personalizing according to their individual demands. The underlying
extendable EPCIS concept allows end users and industry consortiums to extend and to refine the
information exchange. These extensions might go far beyond the basic information exchange described
in this International Standard.
2 Normative references
The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and are
indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated
references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 29400, Ships and marine technology — Offshore wind energy — Port and marine operations
EPC Information Services (EPCIS) Version 1.1 Specification
Core Business Vocabulary (CBV) GS1 Standard Version 1.1
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 29400 and the following apply.
3.1
automatic identification data capturing
AIDC
methods of automatically identifying objects, collecting data about them, and entering that data directly
into computer systems
3.2
bar code
linear array of rectangular marks of (possibly) varying width, height and vertical alignment, separated
by spaces of (possibly) varying width, in which the positioning and size of marks and spaces are used to
encode information
Note 1 to entry: Bar code may be 1D bar code or 2D bar code, also called Aztec code.
3.3
component
arbitrarily parts of a WTG, comprising foundations and all parts of a wind turbine generator as well as
elements of a wind turbine generator tower
EXAMPLE Tripods, jackets, monopoles and other foundation types and blades and hubs.
3.4
container owner code
BIC code
coding scheme used for coding, identification and marking of containers used within containerized
intermodal freight transport
Note 1 to entry: For detailed information, see Reference [1].
3.5
coordinate
one of a sequence of n numbers designating the position of a point in n-dimensional space
Note 1 to entry: In a coordinate reference system, the coordinate numbers are qualified by units.
[SOURCE: ISO 19111:2007, 4.5]
3.6
coordinate tuple
tuple composed of a sequence of coordinates
Note 1 to entry: The number of coordinate tuple equals the dimension of the coordinate system; the order of
coordinates in the coordinate tuple is identical to the order of axes of the coordinate system.
[SOURCE: ISO 19111:2007, 4.12 — modified]
3.7
IMO number
unique identifiers for ships governed by IMO
Note 1 to entry: For more information, see IMO Resolution A.600(15).
Note 2 to entry: The issuing agency for IMO numbers is IHS Fairplay.
3.8
installation site
offshore location where WTGs are installed in an offshore wind farm
3.9
inland transport
transport of components which does not operate in offshore or coastal areas
EXAMPLE Via roads, via rail, via inland vessel and via plane.
3.10
issuing agency
agency that defines and governs unique numbering schemes
Note 1 to entry: For more information, see ISO/IEC 15459-2.
2 © ISO 2015 – All rights reserved

3.11
location
uniquely identifiable physical point or area
Note 1 to entry: The location can be characterized by coordinates.
3.12
logistics hub
location where flows of components are consolidated, stored or transhipped
Note 1 to entry: Logistic hubs are usually located in the inland or the coastal area.
Note 2 to entry: Supply chains may comprise multiple logistics hubs.
3.13
logistic service provider
role in the offshore supply chain which is responsible for the organization of parts or of the entire
logistics chain
3.14
manufacturer
organization that produces one or more components for offshore wind turbines
3.15
n-tier
organization that supplies one or more manufacturer with raw material and semi-finished products
3.16
nearshore transport
water-based transport operated next to the coast or in mouths of rivers
3.17
offshore transport
transportation of components from designated marshalling port or another fabrication yard to the
offshore installation site in the offshore wind farm
3.18
sea fastening
temporary fastening items which keep movable items in position during sea and waterways transport
3.19
sending party
legal entity that sends components to a receiving party
3.20
storage frames
structure to support storing of the WTG components
3.21
supplier
company which produces semi-finished products for the assembly of components of a WTG
3.22
radio-frequency identification
RFID
wireless non-contact use of radio-frequency electromagnetic fields to transfer data
3.23
telemetry
automated collection of operational data and its transfer via an information and communication
infrastructure
3.24
trailer
system of steerable wheels, connected to a central spine beam by hydraulic suspension that can be
raised or lowered
3.25
transport media
all kinds of vehicle that may be used to transport components, bundles of component, load carriers,
lifting equipment and other related objects
3.26
unique identifier
identifier which is guaranteed to be unique among all identifiers used for those objects and for a
specific purpose
Note 1 to entry: For more information, see ISO/IEC 15459-1.
3.27
process state
state of a process that describes the disposition and the current business step of a process
3.28
extensible markup language
XML
schema that defines a set of rules for encoding documents in a format that is both human-readable and
machine-readable
3.29
xml scheme
abstract collection of metadata, consisting of a set of schema components with element and attribute
declarations and complex and simple type definitions
Note 1 to entry: For more information, see References [18] and [21].
4 © ISO 2015 – All rights reserved

4 Abbreviated terms
AIS Automatic Identification System
CBV Core Business Vocabulary
EPC Electronic Product Code
EPCIS EPC Information Services
IMO International Maritime Organization
GIAI Global Individual Asset Identifier
GLN Global Location Number
GTIN Global Trade Item Number
GPS Global Positioning System
GRAI Global Returnable Asset Identifier
OWF Offshore Wind Farm
SGLN Global Location Number With or Without Extensions
SGTIN Serialised Global Trade Item Number
SSCC Serial Shipping Container Code
SPMT Self-Propelled Modular Transporter
URIs Uniform Resource Identifiers
URL Uniform Resource Locator
5 Supply chain processes: Planning, ordering and monitoring
5.1 General
This Clause describes the data communications needs arising through the different stages of
production, transport and maintenance. Planning and control of activities along the offshore supply
chain requires reliable information about states of processes, locations of components, availability of
resources. Especially, the exchange of planning information and order information, such as estimated
arrival times of components or vessels, allows harmonizing the material flow along the whole offshore
logistics supply chain. Due to the different roles in the offshore supply chain, the involved parties have
different information needs. In particular, this International Standard addresses the different stages of
the offshore logistic supply chain and the following informational needs:
— production of parts and components by manufacturers;
— transport to marshalling ports;
— intermediate storage;
— transport to installation site;
— installation of WTG components;
— maintenance and repair;
— decommissioning.
The information flow, which is necessary to initiate the physical material flow, is organized by the
exchange of information between the participants of the supply chain. In general, three different types of
information have to be exchanged between involved parties. These messages are characterized as follows:
— Planning data — contains information about initial plans for component or for transport media. It
comprises information about planned arrival dates of transport units at the transport origin and at
the transport destination.
— Order data — contains information about short-term planning data (e.g. the estimated time of
arrival of a vessel in a port). The physical information flow is initiated by this information. This order
message comprises announcements for any kind of transport initiation or other related actions.
— Material flow event data — events that occur after the completion of planning or ordering processes.
Events represent the actual status of particular processes in the supply chain (e.g. the arrival of a
component at a marshalling port or another logistics hub).
The basic information requirements of each step of the offshore supply chain mentioned above are
described hereafter. Figure 1 depicts a general supply chain for the installation of offshore wind
turbines. The description of tasks, processes and related informational demands are based on Figure 1.
Installation company/ Installation
OEM/Supplier Transport operator Logistic Service Provider
Transport operator company
Inland Port Offshore
Production Installation
transport operations transport
 Planned time of provision at
 Planned time of
base port
provision at the  Planned time of
 Planned time of
production site  Planned time of departure at installation start
 Planned time of
arrival at
base port
arrival at base port
 Planned time of  Planned time of
installation site
departure at  Planned start of assembly installation end
production site
 Planned end of assembly
 Estimated time of provision at
 Estimated time of
base port
provision at the  Estimated time of
 Estimated time of departure at  Estimated time of
production site
 Estimated time of installation start
arrival at installation
base port
arrival at base port
 Estimated time of  Estimate time of
site
 Estimate time of assembly start
departure at installation completion
production site  Estimated time of assembly end
 Transport medium ready  Transport medium ready
 Stored in position
for loading for loading
 Available for transport
 Production completed  Start of installation
 Loading completed  Loading completed
 Start of assembly
 Available for transport  Installation completed
 Start of transport  Start of transport

 
Figure 1 — General offshore wind energy installation supply chain
Relevant data for maintenance and repair operations as well as relevant data for the decommissioning
is not depicted in Figure 1. Informational needs therefore are described in 5.6 and 5.8. The process-
related tasks shown in Figure 1 are as follows.
a) Production of parts and components: production of WTG components.
b) Inland and nearshore transport: transport of WTG components from manufacturers or logistic
hubs to the marshalling port. Inland transport can be organized via roads, via railways, via aircraft,
via inland and nearshore waterways.
6 © ISO 2015 – All rights reserved
Event data Order data Plan data Roles

c) Port operations: Port operations cover all activities from receiving, storing, handling, assembling
and providing components.
d) Offshore transport: This process covers the pick-up of components and the transport of components
by an installation or other vessel.
e) Installation: This process covers all activities for the physical installation of a component at the
installation site at the OWF.
Maintenance operations, as indicated in Figure 1, are also included in this generic scheme. Maintenance
in the context of this International Standard covers the removal of parts from a WTG, the transport of
components and the installation of new components to a WTG.
5.2 Production of parts and components
The production of components is triggered by orders of customers (e.g. general contractor). The
contracting phase as well as the production planning of manufacturers is not in the scope of this
International Standard. However, ordering of components is the starting point of the offshore logistic
supply chain. The completion of a production order is a relevant event in the offshore supply chain. This
event triggers all transport activities concerning the particular component. At least the following basic
information has to be exchanged between transportation operators and manufacturers:
— unique identification attribute of component;
— planned time of provision at the manufactures site;
— estimated time of provision at the manufacturer’s site;
— location of the component (e.g. location ID);
— destination of the component (e.g. location ID);
— required transport medium (e.g. transportation by ship or barge, ground-based transport via roads
or transport by air).
This information is relevant for different parties of the supply chain. Transport operators and logistic
service providers use this information for their operative planning processes. On this basis, the
transport operator gives a reply to this request comprising information about
— planned time of arrival of the transport unit at the manufacturer’s site,
— estimated time of arrival of the transport unit at the manufacturer’s site,
— planned time of arrival at the destination, and
— estimated time of arrival at the destination
For other actors, these data are of informative character.
The status of a component should be sent to different parties in the supply chain after the production
of a particular component has been finished. This event data confirms that components are potentially
available for transport. Relevant information in this context are the following:
— unique identification attribute of component;
— current status of component (i.e. production completed);
— location of provision for transport (e.g. location ID).
5.3 Inland and nearshore transport
5.3.1 Transport by ground
Ground-based transports are triggered by the sending party (e.g. manufacturer). The sending party
has to provide basic information about the transport to the transport operator or the logistic service
provider. Transports are triggered as described for the production of components. The ground-based
transport starts after the completion of loading of WTG components onto the transport unit. In this
context, transport unit is a ground-based vehicle, for example low-loader trailer or SPMT. The sending
party has to provide at least the following information to the manufacturer, base-port operator and the
installation company:
— unique identification attribute of the component;
— unique identification attribute of the transport unit (e.g. license plate);
— starting time of the transport;
— destination of the component (e.g. location ID);
— planned time of arrival at the destination;
— estimated time of arrival at the destination;
— location of the transport vehicle (e.g. geo-information).
For the purpose of a precise process monitoring, the location data of the transport vehicle should be
updated continuously. If telemetric devices are installed, location data can be processed and transmitted
by this device.
5.3.2 Transport by ship
Transportation by ships or barges is used to transport components from the manufacturer or other
logistic hubs to a defined destination via waterways. The destination could be another logistic hub, a
marshalling port or an installation vessel (e.g. in the case of feeder ships). Transports by ships or barges
are triggered by the sending party. Basic informational requirements are given in 5.1. The actual status
of the components has to be updated after loading onto a ship. In order to inform relevant parties of the
supply chain, the transport operator has to provide at least the following relevant information:
— unique identification attribute of the component;
— unique identification attribute of the transport unit (e.g. IMO number);
— starting time of the transport;
— destination of the component (e.g. location ID);
— planned time of arrival at the destination;
— estimated time of arrival at the destination;
— location of the transport vehicle (e.g. geo-information).
For the purpose of an exact process monitoring, the location data of the vessel should be updated
continuously. Relevant location data can be obtained by installed GPS, AIS or other telemetric devices.
5.3.3 Transport by rail
Transportation via rail is used to transport components from the manufacturer or other logistic hubs
to a defined destination. The destination can be another logistic hub or a marshalling port.
8 © ISO 2015 – All rights reserved

Transports via railways are triggered by the sending party. The sending party has to provide basic
information about the transports to the transport operator or the logistic service provider.
In order to inform relevant parties of the supply chain, the transport operator has to provide at least
the following relevant information about the status of the transport:
— unique identification attribute of the component;
— unique identification attribute of the transport unit (e.g. UIC wagon number);
— starting time of the transport;
— destination of the component (e.g. location ID);
— planned time of arrival at the destination;
— estimated time of arrival at the destination;
— location of the transport vehicle (e.g. geo-information).
5.3.4 Transport by aircraft
Transportation by aircraft is used to transport components from the manufacturer or other logistic
hubs to a defined destination. This destination is consequently an airport or adequate landing site.
Further transports will be performed to transport components to a logistic hub or to a marshalling port.
Transports via aircraft are triggered by the sending party. The sending party has to provide basic
information about the transport to the transport operator or the logistic service provider, as
required in in 5.1.
In order to inform relevant parties of the supply chain, the transport operator has to provide at least
the following relevant information:
— unique identification attribute of the component;
— unique identification attribute of the transport unit (e.g. aircraft registration);
— starting time of the transport;
— destination of the component (e.g. location ID);
— planned time of arrival at the destination;
— estimated time of arrival at the destination;
— location of the transport vehicle (e.g. geo-information).
5.4 Storage
Storage processes occur between transport operations at the manufacturer’s site, at logistic hubs
(e.g. waiting period until next transport step) or at the marshalling port (e.g. waiting period until the
availability of components for the installation vessel). Storage processes start after the completion of
production, at the arrival of components at storage site, at a logistic hub or at the marshalling port. For the
organization of the storage process, the storage operator has to receive at least the following information:
— unique identification attribute of the component;
— planned arrival time of the component at the storage site;
— estimated arrival time of the component at the storage site;
— planned time of arrival of a component at the marshalling port or a logistics hub (e.g. arrival of
components for installation vessels);
— estimated time of arrival of component at the marshalling port or a logistics hub (e.g. arrival of
components for installation vessels).
After placing the component in stock, the storage operator has to inform other relevant parties (e.g. the
manufacturer or the installation operator) about the current state of the component:
— unique identification attribute of the component, and
— location of the component (e.g. geo-information or location ID).
The port operator shall receive at least the following information about the date of provision at the
quayside:
— unique identification attribute of the component;
— planned time of provision of the component at the quayside;
— estimated time of provision of the component at the quayside.
Other processes which are often performed during the intermediate storage phase of components are
assembly activities. The start date and the duration of assembly activities in ports or other logistic hubs
are relevant information in the supply chain. The operator of assembly activities shall provide at least
the following information about assembly processes:
— unique identification attributes of the involved components;
— planned start of the assembly activities;
— estimated start of the assembly activities;
— planned completion time of assembly activities;
— estimated completion time of assembly activities;
— location of the assembly activities (e.g. geo-information or location ID).
5.5 Installation
During the installation phase, installation vessels transport WTG components from the marshalling
port to the installation site at the offshore wind farm. Alternatively, a supply of installation vessels
with feeder ships is possible. In both cases, a provision of components at the marshalling port has to be
triggered. Loading of WTG components starts after the arrival of an installation or feeder vessel at the
marshalling port. At least the following information shall be given to other supply chain participants;
— unique identification attribute of the involved components;
— planned time of loading start;
— estimated time of loading start;
— planned time of loading completion;
— estimated time of loading completion;
— location (e.g. location ID).
After the completion of loading, the vessel will cast off. This event is relevant for different parties of the
supply chain. Accordingly, at least the following information has to be provided:
— unique identification attribute of the vessel (e.g. IMO number);
— planned time vessel casts off;
— estimated time vessel casts off;
10 © ISO 2015 – All rights reserved

— planned time of arrival at installation site;
— estimated time of arrival at installation site;
— location of the vessel;
— destination of the vessel.
After arriving at the installation site, the installation vessel starts installing WTG components. Hence,
at least the following information has to be submitted for other actors of the supply chain:
— unique identification attribute of the vessel;
— unique identification attribute of the component;
— planned time of the installation start;
— estimated time of the installation start;
— planned time of the installation end;
— estimated time of the installation end;
— location of the vessel (e.g. geo-information).
5.6 Maintenance and repair
During the maintenance and repair phase, components of WTGs are replaced in terms of preventive or
reactive maintenance operations. It may occur that a component may be repaired on site or on-board
vessels. Otherwise this process can be described by a decommissioning process and by an installation
process which runs sequentially. The first step is the decommissioning of the component which has
to be replaced. For this step, the informational requirements of 5.8 apply. After the decommissioning,
the replacement process is similar to an installation process from the informational perspective. The
requirements of 5.5 apply for this step. All related steps of the supply chain (e.g. transportation of
defect components to a port or a manufacturer and transport of new components to the respective
WTG) have similar informational requirements as described above. The following lists summarize
these requirements.
Decommissioning of components and transport to a port or manufacturer:
— decommissioning process (as described in 5.8);
— transport of decommissioned component (as described in 5.3);
— storage of components (as described in 5.4).
Logistic steps and requirements for the installation of new components:
— production of components (as described in 5.2);
— transport of component (as described in 5.3);
— storage of components (as described in 5.4);
— installation of components (as described in 5.5).
5.7 Return of load carriers and equipment
There are several specialized assets such as load carriers or lifting equipment which are used at different
stages of the supply chain. Owners of these assets may have an interest in identifying and locating these
assets. In general, the informational needs are similar to the informational needs regarding the material
flow of components. The usage of these asset
...