The PivotBuoy combines a single point mooring system with a small TLP.
Offshore staff
BARCELONA, Spain – X1 Wind is preparing to deploy its PivotBuoy floating wind technology in the Canary Islands after completing the assembly and load-out of a fully-functional prototype.
The prototype has been developed through the €4-million ($4.8-million) PivotBuoy project awarded by the European Commission H2020 Program.
It will be installed at the Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN) test site with full exposure to open ocean conditions in a bid to demonstrate the efficiency of the structural design and mooring system.
Fitted with a Vestas V29 turbine, the 1:3 scale prototype (X30) will be stationed at a 50 m (164 ft) water depth through a single point mooring system in a downwind configuration – creating a ‘weathervaning’ solution which is said to maximize use of passive systems.
According to X1 Wind, the downwind configuration removes the traditional tower and creates a pyramidal platform that is more efficient in the load transmission.
(Courtesy X1 Wind)
The project aims to reduce the current levelized cost of electricity of floating wind by demonstrating the advantages of the system, namely a reduced floater weight, a faster and cheaper installation process, and a more reliable operation.
The pan-European PivotBuoy consortium includes EDP NEW, DNV, INTECSEA, ESM, Degima, WavEC Offshore Renewables, PLOCAN, and the Technical University of Denmark.
