Friday 17 July 2015

€7.3m to boost floating wind technologies

An international project worth €7.3million (£5m) plans to develop the next generation of floating wind technologies.

The project, which includes 12 energy firms and research groups, will run for 40 months.

It will focus on developing 10MW wind turbines at water depths greater than 50m.

The first step is to successfully develop two of these turbines by early 2017.

The partners have chosen to focus on large wind turbines as these are seen as “key to reducing the cost of energy generated from offshore renewables”.

Ignacio Marti, Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult Innovation & Research Director, said: “The global potential market for floating foundation solutions is significant as there is a clear need to develop new technologies that meet the needs of deeper water sites, where bottom-fixed solutions are no longer commercially viable.”