The PivotBuoy project has won €4m in EU funding to unlock cost-competitive floating wind based on a much lighter platform.
X1 Wind, the developer of a single point mooring system platform, is leading a consortium of nine partners to deploy a prototype of the PivotBuoy technology, at a test site within the Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN).
The PivotBuoy technology could reduce turbine platform weight by as much as 80% and costs by 50%, according to X1 Wind.
The consortium will integrate a part-scale prototype of the PivotBuoy into a downwind floating wind platform (pictured) designed by X1 Wind at PLOCAN’s test site by 2020.
The project aims to validate the benefits of the system and other areas of innovation to reduce installation, operation and maintenance costs, paving the path to achieve €50 per megawatt hour for commercial scale wind farms.
PivotBuoy aims to operate at an increased water depth compared with other floating solutions, which would open up hundreds of sites that were previously technically or commercially inaccessible for offshore wind deployment, X1 Wind said.
The system combines single point mooring systems with those of tension-leg platform systems to create a more efficient downwind structural design, resulting in significant weight reduction, compared with current spar and semi-submersible systems.
X1 chief executive Alex Raventos said: “In the last decade, a number of prototypes have successfully proven floating wind is technically feasible, but costs need to be reduced by at least 50%.”
According to Raventos, technology disruption is required to achieve large-scale competitive floating offshore wind.
“Together with a consortium of nine cutting edge R&D institutions and industry partners, we plan to demonstrate the advantages of our innovative PivotBuoy system. We are delighted to receive this important support from the European Commission,” he added.
The project consortium includes WavEC, EDP, Intecsea and DNV GL and will last for 36 months.