Innogy, Shell and Stiesdal Offshore Technologies have taken a final investment decision to build a floating offshore wind demonstration project using the latter’s TetrSpar foundation concept off the coast of Norway.
The €18m demo, which will use a 3.6MW Siemens Gamesa turbine, will be deployed 10km from shore in water depths of 200 metres at the Marine Energy Test Centre site near Stavanger next year.
The foundation has a modular layout comprising a tubular steel main structure and a suspended keel (pictured).
Dynamic stability tests on a true-to-scale model have been running since last December, using the wave-wind channel at the University of Maine in the US, and the wave tank at Force in Lyngby, Denmark.
Components for the floating prototype will be manufactured this year by Welcon in Give, Denmark.
The components will then be transported to the Port of Grenaa to be assembled.
Following launch of the foundation, the wind turbine will be mounted on the foundation at the quayside using a land-based crane and then towed to the project site.
Shell has also increased its share in the project to 66% from 33%, with Innogy holding 33% and Stiesdal Offshore Technologies the remaining 1%.
Shell project manager James Cotter said: “Shell is working to grow our renewable power business and sees great promise in floating wind technologies that could change the face of the offshore wind industry over the next decade.
“We want to help accelerate this change by sharing our offshore expertise with our partners in order to progress innovative solutions such as TetraSpar.”
Innogy head of offshore investment and asset management Martin Ferreira said: “Innogy is seeking offshore growth opportunities worldwide and we are confident that floating wind is going to be an important growth market in the future.
“This demonstration project lays the foundation for this by giving us a better understanding of both the technical insights and how the cost of floating wind can be driven down.”
Stiesdal Offshore Technologies chief executive Henrik Stiesdal said: “Reaching the final investment decision on the deployment and test of our first full-scale demonstration project is a very important milestone for us.
“We have already benefited greatly from the dialogue with Shell, Innogy and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy during the project planning, and we look forward to further enhance the dialogue during the project execution.
“The benefits of our partners’ experience combined with the competences of our manufacturing partner, Welcon will put us on the fast-track for rapid commercialisation.”