Technology
NextFloat proposes a disruptive system specifically developed for floating wind
The project will demonstrate an integrated system composed of X1’s lightweight floating platform with its proprietary PivotBuoy connection system – a novel design for offshore wind platforms that optimizes the structural design, reduces weight of the structure and greatly improves mooring and installation techniques and costs – and 2BE’s 2-bladed downwind turbine – an advanced rotor that requires less material, fewer components, reduced capital and operational costs and improved environmental benefits.
The project also proposes innovations to bring cost-efficiency improvements to the dynamic cable by using aluminum as a conductor material. The inclusion NextFloat of eco-structures in the mooring system will promote the regeneration and growth of marine biodiversity.
NextFloat proposes to develop a fully integrated and industrialized design for 14MW floating wind systems and to study the feasibility of a 20MW system using a reference wind turbine provided by DTU. In parallel, the fabrication and deployment of the 6MW prototype in the Mistral test site, in the Mediterranean Sea, will serve to validate the integrated design approach and show how the different innovative elements (floater, mooring, turbine, umbilical cable) will work together to bring significant advantages for the overall floating wind system. The 6MW prototype will also be used to test assembly and loadout procedures aimed for large-scale deployment.
