AtlanticFloat project
The AtlanticFloat project aims to better understand the behaviour and dynamics of floating wind turbines in the Atlantic environment. It is a joint research project between industry and academia that will design a floating platform specifically for the harsh Atlantic conditions and benchmark its performance against two established floating wind platform designs.
In addition to technical design, AtlanticFloat determines the impact of platform motions on the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) activity that will have to be carried out on board a floating offshore wind support structure.
Results of the Project
AtlanticFloat is delivering critical insights into the operational readiness of Floating Offshore Wind (FOW) in Ireland’s Atlantic waters. By deploying and testing Irish-developed technologies, the project assesses their performance, functionality, and potential impact on the FOW sector.
Key results include:
Open-access findings to inform future floating offshore wind platform designs for the Atlantic.
Evaluation of platform motion effects on staff working considtions, contributing to the development of design guidelines and defining safe working limits for typical floating platforms in Atlantic conditions.
Numerical modeling and physical scaled model tank testing of three platform designs, including the novel SOFWind platform.
A roadmap for scaling the SOFWind design to a ¼-scale prototype for offshore testing, advancing its platform up through the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) levels.
Ultimately, the project envisions SOFWind-based offshore wind platforms being deployed at array scale in the Atlantic in the near future.
Innovative Solutions
The project aims to evaluate the readiness of Floating Offshore Wind (FOW) for Ireland’s Atlantic waters by focusing on platform motion, structural and mooring design, and human factors for onboard work.
It involves developing two Irish technologies to reduce the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) and mitigate risks for FOW in the North Atlantic:
The Stable Offshore Wind (SOFWind) platform design will be the first floating offshore wind platform that will be specifically designed for Atlantic conditions which will be benchmarked against standard offshore wind platform designs that are currently in use.
The second innovation that will be examined through the project will be to measure the performance enhancement of the station keeping system when an innovative Load Reduction Device (LRD) is introduced to the mooring lines of the platform.
This project has been supported with financial contribution from Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland under the SEAI Research, Development & Demonstration Funding Programme 2023, Grant number 23/RDD/955
General Information:
Project name: Floating Offshore Wind Technologies for the Atlantic Frontier (AtlanticFloat)
Project acronym: AtlanticFloat
Funding Programme: SEAI RD&D Funding Programme 2023
Coordinator: MaREI at Univeristy College Cork
Overall Budget: 648 224 €
Duration: March 2024 - February 2026
Lead Organisation: University College Cork
Project location: Ireland
Entities involved: Rockall Research Ltd, Wind Energy Ireland, Munster Technological University, Dublin Offshore Technology
Research Area: Offshore Floating Wind
Channels to know more about the project:
Website
