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Floatgen breaks production record

4C Offshore | Tom Russell
By: Tom Russell 14/01/2020 Ideol
Ideol has reported that the 2 MW Floatgen floating wind turbine exceeded production and availability expectations in the second half of 2019. During the last six months, the turbine has more than doubled its power production in comparison with the first semester, to reach an annual total of 6 GWh.

The
V80-2.0 MW turbine is installed on Ideol's patented floating foundation, which features a 5,000 tonne ring-shaped hollow concrete float. The shape is designed so that water movement within the central opening counteracts the motion of the floater caused by wave swell and stabilises the structure. It is anchored by six 220 mm-diameter nylon lines.

Installed 22 km off Le Croisic (Loire-Atlantique) at the SEM-REV test site. Over the course of two years, the project will be tested under real operating conditions. It is connected to the French power grid via an underwater hub that allows up to three prototypes to be connected simultaneously. This hub is connected to an electrical station onshore via an 8 MW cable, which is buried under 2 metres of sand and sediment.

Power production was achieved as a result of a time availability exceeding 94.6% in the second semester and an above average capacity factor. During that same period, the wind turbine faced maximum wave heights of up to 12.5 meters (significant waves of up to 6.5 metres).

The wind turbine remained fully operational throughout the first winter months, producing power up to 5.5 metres of significant wave height and up to 24.2 m/s of wind speed.


For more information on floating offshore wind farms projects,
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