A floating wind platform demonstration project has secured €13m in funding to accelerate the technology’s deployment.
The NextFloat+ project has received the grant from the Innovation Fund to accelerate deployment of X1 Wind’s 6MW pre-commercial floating wind platform.
The cash injection will further advance industrialisation and scale-up of integrated floating wind solution at 20MW-plus scale.
Led by a consortium formed by X1 Wind, as project coordinator, alongside Technip Energies and NextFloat Plus, the project will involve the deployment of the 6MW floating wind platform at a test site in the Mediterranean Sea.
The pre-commercial prototype, called X90, will demonstrate a cost-effective integrated system composed of a structurally efficient and lightweight floating platform with a Single Point Mooring (SPM) and a Tension Leg Platform (TLP), reducing the seabed footprint impact.
X1 Wind chief executive and co-founder Alex Raventos said: “We’re thrilled to receive support from the Innovation Fund.
“The grant represents a cornerstone in the fundraising for the NextFloat+ Project, adding to finance already secured through the European Commission under the Horizon Europe programme, finance secured through the French Government as part of the France 2030 plan operated by ADEME, plus private funding from partners and shareholders.
“Crucially, it will provide an opportunity to drive substantial improvements in the competitiveness of floating wind as we prepare for long-term mass deployment in locations around the world.”
The NextFloat+ Project will build on the findings of the PivotBuoy Project, which proved X1 Wind’s technology by successfully deploying a part-scale prototype in the Canary Islands.
Furthermore, it will introduce additional innovations to reduce the LCoE of floating wind and its environmental impact, namely the patented quick-connector system and the installation of a bio-boosting system applied on the floater.
Vice president floating offshore wind business unit of Technip Energies Willy Gauttier said: “We are thrilled to announce our selection for the NextFloat+ project, an initiative that seeks to propel the pre-commercial phase of a floating wind project and showcase our capacity to facilitate commercial-scale projects in Europe and across the globe.
“This project presents a singular opportunity to expedite the advancement of sustainable energy solutions and foster the expansion of the floating wind industry.”