

The 18 million-euro project will install a 3.6 MW Siemens Gamesa direct drive turbine with a 130 m rotor diameter in water depths of 200 m.įloating foundations could be highly competitive in moderate water depths, as well as deep water areas.įloating designs would require less adaptations according to water depth and seabed conditions, enabling floating wind developers to maximize economies of series, Stiesdal said.

In February, oil major Shell and power group Innogy agreed to take 66% and 33% stakes in the first large-scale TetraSpar demonstration project in Norway. The entire plant is towed to site using tugboats, avoiding higher-cost specialized vessels. SOT will use industrialized manufacturing processes and pre-assembly efficiencies to reduce installation times. SOT's TetraSpar floating wind foundation is based on a modular layout, using a tubular steel main structure with a suspended keel. Source: WindEurope's Floating Offshore Wind Energy: a Policy Blueprint for Europe (October 2018)įloating wind foundations offer significantly lower installation costs and can provide greater industrialization gains than fixed-bottom projects, Stiesdal, an offshore wind pioneer and former CTO of Siemens Wind Power, told New Energy Update. With appropriate support, floating offshore wind costs could drop to 80 to 100 euros per MWh ($90-$113/MWh) for projects financed by 2025, and fall to 40 to 60 euros/MWh by 2030, WindEurope said in a recent report. West Coast from around 2025.Īround 80% of global offshore wind resources, or 4 TW, is located in water depths of over 60 meters, where fixed-bottom designs cannot be used, according to industry group WindEurope.įloating wind costs are set to plummet in the coming years as developers move from pilot projects to wider commercial deployment. Some 12 pre-commercial projects for 334 MW of capacity are scheduled to be commissioned in Europe by 2022 and developers aim to build projects on the U.S. Norwegian oil major Equinor could soon build the world's largest floating wind farm after the company gained a permit to develop a 200 MW plant near the Spanish-owned Canary Islands. Vestas, Maersk target turbine hoist savings as size, distances growįloating wind project activity is continuing to grow as developers seek to gain a foothold in the deep water offshore wind market.

California floating wind pioneers build new fishing, harbor frameworks.Floating wind developers focus on lean multiples as competition mounts.Shell’s US offshore wind entrance set to cut fixed, floating project costs.
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