The 2MW Floatgen floating wind turbine off western France exceeded production and availability expectations in the second half of 2019, according to its developer Ideol.
The turbine more than doubled its power production in comparison with the first half, to reach an annual total of 6 gigawatt hours (GWh).
Ideol said this was due to time availability in excess of 94.6% in the second half of last year and an above-average capacity factor.
During the second half of 2019 the floating wind turbine withstood wave heights of up to 12.5 metres. According to Ideol, the company’s Damping Pool design, plus the accuracy of integrated floating wind turbine simulations, ensured the Floatgen pilot was able to tolerate such high waves.
The simulations calculated by Ideol have been verified and validated by independent third party, the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), which reviewed the load and movement measurements as well as the data processing methods, said the company.
The wind turbine has remained fully operational throughout these first winter months, producing power up in wave heights of up to 5.5 metres and in wind speeds of up to 24.2 metres per second, added Ideol.
Floatgen is equipped with the company’s patented floating foundation and is installed in the Sem-Rev test site off France’s Atlantic coast.