Partners DCNS and Nass&Wind presented their floating wind turbine development programme and shared ambitions for second-generation offshore windfarms at the Thetis Marine Renewable Energy show in Brest on 10–11 April 2013.
2012 was a big year for the DCNS/Nass&Wind floating wind turbine development programme as it saw the completion of the Winflo demonstrator design phase in conjunction with partners Vergnet, Ifremer and engineering school ENSTA Bretagne.
This challenging project calls for a design tailored to conditions at the SEM-REV combined wave & wind energy park off Le Croisic on the Brittany peninsula, including a water depth of 35 metres, a high-energy swell regime and limited anchorage radius. Production of the Winflo floating structure is scheduled to begin later this year with on-site installation to follow in 2014. Winflo will be the first floating turbine in French waters.
The decision to build the Winflo demonstrator is testimony to the technology’s maturity. It is also the first step of a major industrial initiative by the DCNS/Nass&Wind joint venture set up in July 2012.
The production and marketing of Winflo structures and turbines will contribute directly to the establishment of a French industrial base specialising in floating turbine technologies and subsequently to international sales.
The market for offshore windfarm hardware and services offers great promise. Aside from the inherent advantage of being offshore and largely out of sight, the benefits include stronger and more stable wind regimes, higher social acceptability, simpler installation and faster commissioning. Note also that the potential demand for floating windfarms is three times greater than that for types mounted on the seafloor.
The Winflo project is Brittany born and bred. It was first sponsored by the Brittany maritime cluster in 2008 and was one of the first five projects to receive funding under the French government’s investment for the future programme.
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Press release, April 12, 2013; Image: dcnsgroup