Eureka-SeaWind: A lighter, more cost-effective solution for floating offshore wind

Project Description

Offshore wind is an abundant source of clean renewable energy. To date, electricity generated from offshore wind has focused on near-shore, sea-bed mounted devices but floating wind projects are not yet economically viable. To make floating wind a commercial reality, further technology innovation is necessary. This project aims to develop a reliable and efficient floating wind turbine technology based on a novel concept that reduces cost and weight. The most advanced floating wind project globally is the 30MW Hywind project which exploits technology derived from conventional onshore wind turbines. In contrast, the Eureka-SeaWind project will evaluate the benefits of reconfiguring the turbine by moving the generator to the bottom of the tower. Advantages include a lower centre of gravity, decreased loading on the tower and floating structure and increased stability. The new design will also reduce installation and maintenance costs by improving access to the generator. The project will use state-of-the-art computational analysis techniques to design a detailed prototype. The prototype will be evaluated through hydrodynamic frequency-domain analysis and structural analysis and it will be refined iteratively based on resulting learnings. Finally, a demonstrator turbine and floating structure will be manufactured and tested and results from testing will be used to verify and validate the computational models. The project aims to prove the validity of the technology and achieve a Technology Readiness Level of 6 (technology demonstrated in relevant environment). At project completion, the company aims to commercialise the technology through venture capital or H2020 supports, such as the SME instrument or the Fast Track to Innovation scheme. The long-term aim is to collaborate with established utilities and wind turbine OEMs and to license the technology for use in floating offshore wind farms.