Winflo Exhibits in Tokyo, Japan

In the frame of the Winflo consortium, and on the occasion of the 8th “Renewable energy 2013 exhibition” from July 24 to 26 in Tokyo, DCNS and partner Nass&Wind will present their floating wind turbine project. An opportunity to revisit this ambitious technology programme.

In offshore waters the winds are stronger and steadier and the energy potential is higher. Floating marine wind turbines allow the installation of energy conversion systems in areas with depths in excess of 50 m, thus giving access to denser energy resources and reducing the visual and noise impact perceived from the coast. These wind turbines have a potential that is three times greater than that of a wind turbine built on the sea bed and their installation is much simpler without the need for civil engineering work at sea.

Floating wind turbines thus give access to areas that are currently unexploited, opening huge market opportunities. It is this analysis that inspired the Winflo (Wind turbine with INnovative design for Floating Lightweight Offshore) programme, led by DCNS together with Nass&Wind, a major actor in the wind-turbine sector which has recognised experience in the development of sites and the financing, construction and operation of wind farms. The goal? Develop the first generation of floating wind turbines in France. The resources? The construction then sea testing of a demonstrator, both of which are crucial steps before the start of a major industrial and commercial development programme.

To successfully complete this programme and realise the demonstrator, DCNS and Nass&Wind sought the support of several partners with complementary expertise: the French wind turbine manufacturer Vergnet, responsible for the production of the 1MW system, the ENSTA Bretagne engineering school and the Ifremer research centre, which has already performed two successful test campaigns in dock, for the floater and the nacelle.

 From demonstrator to commercial wind farm

A veritable technological challenge, the design of the Winflo demonstrator has been finalised and the construction of the different subsystems is about to commence. Thanks to the complementarity of the know-how of the project partners, Winflo will be equipped with an innovative semi-submersible floater, a lightweight wind turbine specially designed for the floating offshore system and a specific anchoring system. The assembly on the DCNS site in Brest and the installation off the Le Croisic coast, on the SEM-REV* wave-power site, will be conducted in 2014. The 1MW demonstrator has been designed to adapt to the specific conditions of the SEM-REV site, which has a depth of 35 metres with significant waves and a constrained anchoring radius.

Once floated, Winflo will be the first floating wind turbine to be installed at sea in France.

Its achievement constitutes a first step towards larger-scale industrial deployment. Commercial operation will start after the test phase of a pilot farm comprising four to six units. This farm will be installed in 2017 off the coast of the Ile de Groix (Morbihan county in Brittany). The final goal is to develop the first commercial floating wind-turbine farm by 2020.

In the medium term, the production of Winflo and its commercialisation will contribute to the development of a French industrial sector in the area of floating wind turbines, with the ambition to deploy this technology globally.

 France and Japan, the same sustainable growth challenge

Both France and Japan have very long coastlines providing significant marine energy resources but with relatively deep waters. In this context, floating wind turbines appear to be an innovative solution allowing their energy potential to be exploited to the maximum. Both countries have announced the same clean energy development goals and the “Renewable energy 2013 exhibition” represents an opportunity for DCNS to present its Winflo wind turbine whilst at the same time defining the foundations of a future cooperation with Japan in the area of floating wind turbines.

[mappress]

Press release, July 26, 2013; Image: dcnsgroup