Entrion Wind has sealed a US patent for its Fully Restrained Platform (FRP) monopile.
Officially granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office on 29 October, the patent is the first of six filed by the company to be awarded.
Entrion Wind’s design of the FRP foundation extends the range of traditional monopile technology to water depths of up to 100 metres, while offering improved economics compared to other foundation systems.
The base integrates proven technologies with the company’s proprietary Top Mooring Assembly (TMA) system. The TMA improves the stability of the monopile by increasing stiffness without impacting installation or operational efficiency.
“This patent is a major achievement for Entrion Wind,” said the outfit’s vice president and co-founder Li Lee.
“Our FRP monopile is designed to deliver exceptional performance in water depths that were previously inaccessible to monopile technology.
“This innovation will help drive down costs and enable the growth of offshore wind energy in deeper waters.”
Entrion Wind continues to test the viability of the FRP monopile with comprehensive feasibility studies and demonstration projects.
Companies can assess whether the FRP monopile concept works for a specific site, estimate impacts on LCOE from CapEx and OpEx, and evaluate project risks and opportunities. Demonstration partners have the opportunity to test the FRP Monopile technology first-hand in the field, as either a full deployment or retrofitted design.
The commercial rollout of the FRP monopile is planned for 2027.