The floating wind technology
What is Floating Offshore Wind?
Offshore wind has become a key cornerstone of global efforts to decarbonize electricity production; however to date, efforts have been restricted to areas with relatively shallow water depths (less than 50 meters) securing the turbines to the seabed using large deep drilled piled foundations. A floating wind turbine is an offshore wind turbine mounted on a floating structure, offering a more expansive and flexible solution, easing spatial constraints as it is not limited by seabed depth or conditions. It is an ideal fit for California, where a combination of high wind speeds and abundant near-shore deep water sites offer an opportunity to demonstrate new floating offshore wind technology at a lower cost than can be achieved elsewhere. In leveraging the existing offshore engineering capability in the Californian supply chain, the CADEMO floating offshore wind demonstration project will create a unique opportunity to establish the region as a world leading center for the emergent floating offshore wind industry.
The SATH Floating Barge
The SATH (Swing Around Twin Hull) floating platform is a prestressed concrete floating platform consisting of two cylindrical and horizontal hulls with conical edges linked to each through bar-frame structures.
The design uses a single point mooring system (currently used in Oil and Gas applications) where the platform weather vanes into the facing wind.
The system has been extensively modeled in tank testing campaigns and validated through numerical models. The next step in demonstration will be two prototype deployments in open seas off the coast of Spain. More information on the SATH technology can be accessed here:
The SBM Offshore Floating Wind Technology
The SBM Offshore Floating Wind Technology is a lightweight steel floating tension leg platform (TLP). Most of the structure is submerged under the water and is anchored to the seabed under tension to minimize movement.
The floating structure consists of four buoys with a bracing system linking them together to a transition piece on which the turbine sits. The system has been tank tested in the the MARIN and Oceanide basin facilities between 2015 and 2019.
The SBM Offshore Floating Wind Technology is scheduled to deliver three 8 MW floating platforms as part of the Provence Gran Large pilot farm on the French coast of the Mediterranean sea. Further information on the SBM technology can be accessed here:
https://www.sbmoffshore.com/what-we-do/our-products/renewables/