DNV has issued a verification letter to Wison Offshore & Marine for its w.semi semi-submersible floating wind foundation technology.
The verification letter demonstrates the technical feasibility and commercial readiness of the technology, and concludes the first stage of the verification process, according to DNV, which has been working with WOM to advance the w.semi technology since 2020.
“ Mitigating risks via certification is particularly valuable for floating offshore wind projects in securing project finance and demonstrating operational application,” said Dr. Weimin Chen , Director of WOM’s Wind Technology.
WOM’s w.semi floating foundation concept is modular, allowing final assembly on site near wind farm, and is suited for installation in water depths ranging from 50 metres and up.
The floating foundation is designed for use in the South China Sea to support the emerging Chinese offshore wind industry, as well as European and North American markets, according to WOM.
“ Our goal is to build the floaters in China for Europe and the North American markets. We are continuously refining our design of w.semi™ with many of the supporting technologies. Securing certification is the key aspect of our technology development, and we are very pleased to reach this important milestone in the certification process with DNV “, Dr. Weimin Chen said.
The verification letter from DNV came shortly after WOM received Approval in Principle (AIP) for its w.semi platform from ABS.
The company already built a semi-submersible floating foundation for the world’s first pilot typhoon-resistant wind turbine.
The floating foundation is supporting MingYang Smart Energy’s MySE5.5MW typhoon-resistant wind turbine which was put into operation in December last year at the 400 MW China Three Gorges (CTG) Yangxi Shapa III wind farm offshore China.
This was also the first project globally where a floating wind turbine was connected to a fixed-bottom turbine.