EUR 2.5 Million to Put PivotBuoy Floater Development on Fast Track

X1 Wind has won a EUR 2.5 million grant through the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator programme, which the company will use to speed up the detailed design and certification process of its first commercial large-scale floating wind platform.

“The cash injection will be specifically used to fast-track the detailed design and certification of our first large-scale floating wind unit. We are currently in the process of evaluating potential pre-commercial sites and projects, in order to continue driving momentum following our current demonstration project in the Canary Islands”, said X1 Wind CEO & Co-Founder Alex Raventos.

Along with financial support, the EIC Accelerator benefactors also have access to coaching, networking and business acceleration services to help build their businesses.

The floating wind technology developer is currently readying to deploy a 1:3 scale of its PivotBuoy floater off the Canary Islands. The prototype is equipped with a Vestas V29 turbine and will be installed in water depth of 50 metres at the PLOCAN test site, where the platform will have full exposure to open ocean conditions.

The PivotBuoy system is connected to a single point mooring system in a downwind configuration – creating a ‘weathervaning’ solution which maximises use of passive systems.

“[The] platform’s modular design is highly suitable for mass manufacturing, advancing the industrialization plans for serial fabrication of floating wind”, Alex Raventos said. “This will enable us to meet the considerable demand and fuel ambitious targets set out for the global expansion of the industry. X1 Wind’s final commercial-scale design will draw on knowledge and expertise from experienced fabricators, shipyards and ports to automate and streamline processes, which will ultimately help drive down costs”.