Principle Power has expanded its WindFloat portfolio by introducing two new semi-submersible floating wind foundation designs, called WindFloat TC and WindFloat FC, which are said to be optimised for 15 MW+ wind turbines.
According to the company, the new designs are natural evolutions of the existing WindFloat technologies that support a wind turbine located on a column in the centre of the platform.
Designed to complement the existing perimeter column designs WindFloat T and WindFloat F, the new solutions share the same 4th generation design heritage and benefits.
Some of these include a Smart Hull Trim system to maximise annual energy production and reduce loads; fatigue-resilient architecture optimised for large wind turbines; compact footprint and shallow draft for maximum compatibility with infrastructure; and modular “block” subcomponent philosophy for high flexibility and compatibility with existing supply chains, said Principle Power.
“The outlook for floating wind is strong and as the market enters a ‘commercial’ era, wind turbine suppliers are now thinking about how to position their products for maximum standardization across the floating pipeline”, said Julian Arrillaga Costa , Chief Executive Officer for Principle Power.
“With this in mind, we’ve developed WindFloat® center column designs that are optimized for 15MW+ turbines with stiffer towers.”
The availability of both perimeter column and centre column designs means that the WindFloat portfolio delivers “market leading cost, weight, and performance for any wind turbine available on the market”, added Principle Power.
In September 2023, the company launched the new flat panel, pontoon-based floating wind foundation WindFloat F, designed for ultra-shallow wind turbine integration in ports.
According to the company, WindFloat F – designed for wind turbine integration in ports as shallow as nine metres and having additional buoyancy of the pontoons that minimises column diameter and footprint – allows for automated subcomponent manufacturing at existing Tier 1 and Tier 2 fabrication facilities and for creating more options within supply chains.