A detailed design review for the PivotBuoy, the innovative floating offshore wind concept developed by X1 Wind and partners, has been completed, and the first PivotBuoy is now ready to be manufactured
The detailed design review took place at X1 Wind’s offices in Barcelona on 4-5 March 2020. The company said manufacturing can now proceed at DEGIMA, a fabrication company in Santander.
The first PivotBuoy will be tested at the PLOCAN test site in the Canary Islands using a part-scale platform with a Vestas V29 turbine in a downwind configuration.
Assembly and installation of the demonstrator is due to take place in Q3 2020.
X1 Wind’s PivotBuoy is to be tested by a consortium of nine partners, led by X1 Wind.
X1 Wind believes that the technology could reduce platform weight by as much as 80% compared with other floating foundations and could reduce costs by 50%.
The project aims to validate the benefits of the PivotBuoy system and other innovations to reduce installation, operation and maintenance costs, paving the path to achieve €50/MWh (US$56/MWh) in commercial-scale floating windfarms.
First backed by EIT InnoEnergy, Europe’s sustainable energy innovation engine, the platform is said to be capable of operating at an increased water depth compared to other floating solutions, opening up sites that might otherwise be technically or commercially inaccessible.
The system combines advantages of single point mooring systems with those of tension-leg platforms and a more efficient downwind structural design, enabling a significant weight reduction compared to spar and semi-submersible systems.
The project consortium combines experienced industry partners and R&D organisations from the offshore wind, naval and oil and gas sectors, including nine partners from six different countries: X1 Wind, ESM, WavEC, PLOCAN, EDP, INTECSEA, DTU, DNV GL and DEGIMA.
The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under a grant agreement.
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