BW Ideol’s floating wind turbine Floatgen has had its lifetime extended for another 5 years as its cumulated production surpassed 30GWh
Serving as France’s first and only operational floating wind turbine, Floatgen is a 2MW demonstrator equipped with BW Ideol’s Damping Pool floater.
With this significant electrical production milestone, Floatgen demonstrates that floating offshore wind is a practical and tangible solution for supporting electrical supply, the developer said.
These valuable results are due to the hydrodynamic properties and excellent sea-keeping capabilities of the BW Ideol floater, it added.
These factors contribute to Floatgen’s remarkable availability, averaging 92.18% between January 2021 and January 2024, with December 2023 reaching a monthly production record of 922.026 MWh and a 61.96% capacity factor, according to BW Ideol.
This extension will enable BW Ideol to continue research and development projects.
For instance, in the environmental sector, the Velella project aims to optimize the economic and environmental performance of the BW Ideol floater, incorporating a life cycle assessment.
Additionally, the Piaff & Co project aims to collect data to identify potentially impacted species and their interactions with the wind turbine.
Paul de la Guérivière, chief executive of BW Ideol, said: “We are proud to announce the extension of our Floatgen pilot, which, after enduring several major storms over the past 5 years, including a record wave height of 12.9 metres during the Ciaran storm, is still perfectly capable of operating for an additional 5 years without the need for major maintenance work.
“Owning a full-scale unit like Floatgen is truly a must-have to validate and refine our technology and to conduct research projects. And this is exactly what we intend to do for the next few years.”