So many floating wind designs, so few test sites – Norwegian METCentre sold out

There are currently more than 80 floating wind technology concepts and designs worldwide, and testing even a certain number of these could prove to be an endeavour since, at least in Europe, there are not many test sites dedicated to floating wind technology.

This is according to a discussion during the Focus on Floating Wind session at Offshore Energy Exhibition & Conference in Amsterdam last November, when Arvid Nesse, General Manager at Norway’s Marine Energy Test Centre (METCentre), said the Norwegian test site was completely booked with several projects queued for the coming years.

“At the moment, we have two projects there: Hywind Demo, the world’s first floating wind turbine, installed in 2009, and we have Stiesdal’s TetraSpar [which] was installed in 2021”, Arvid Nesse said. “In the coming years, we will see six more projects”.

The six floating wind technologies that will be installed at the METCentre include the Bluewater and Flagship projects, Hexicon’s and SeaTwirl’s wind turbines, and two more projects that are yet to be disclosed.

“So all our places are sold out and we have a queue of projects which are interested in testing. There is a lack of test places in Europe for floating wind. And we see many, many technologies now upcoming”, Nesse said.

METCentre has mapped 83 different floating wind technologies from 14 different countries, Arvid Nesse pointed out, adding that, while not all of them will be a success, this proved that a lot was going on in technology development in the floating wind industry.

According to GustoMSC’s Commercial Director Floating Wind, Barend Jenje, this number is even higher, with over a hundred designs out there. In this regard, and the wider context of bringing floating wind ambitions to realisation, Barend Jenje put the supply chain in focus, primarily fabrication facilities and installation methodologies.

Find out what more was discussed during the floating wind session at OEEC 2022 by watching the recording on OEEC On Demand:

We are expecting just as many insights and discussions from the offshore energy industry at Offshore Energy Exhibition & Conference 2023. The floorplan for OEEC 2023 is now open.

Check how you can attend the conference and/or exhibit with a stand this November at OEEC 2023 in Amsterdam at the event page.