A Mixed-Integer Linear Programming Framework for Multi-Period Offshore Wind Personnel Logistics: Integrating Routing, Scheduling, and Personnel Inventory Management

The offshore wind energy sector faces significant logistics costs due to complex maritime environments. This study addresses the multi-period Crew Transfer Vessel routing within offshore wind farms and scheduling problems through a novel mixed-integer linear programming framework. The model integrates personnel inventory management with dynamic service times. It determines optimal routing and scheduling plans to minimise total operational costs. Numerical experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach. The results indicate that increasing vessel capacity from 8 to 20 reduces total expenses by approximately 80%. Moreover, shifting from single-trip to multi-trip operations decreases fixed charter costs by 30%. The computational performance is efficient, and the solver achieves optimal solutions within an average of 5.67 s. This framework provides operators with precise decision support for complex offshore wind farm maintenance scenarios.