Principle Power announces that floating offshore wind projects using the WindFloat® technology have generated more than 1 terawatt-hour (TWh) of cumulative power production since WindFloat 1 was connected to the grid in 2011. This milestone demonstrates the maturity of the WindFloat® designs, and the readiness of the company’s 4th generation designs for commercial scale projects.
Image Credit: Principle Power
The 1 TWh output includes generation from:
- WindFloat 1: 2 MW pilot in Portugal (2011-2016) and Scotland (2018-2020).
- WindFloat Atlantic: 25 MW project in operation since 2020 off the coast of Portugal.
- Kincardine Offshore Wind Farm: a 48 MW project in operation since 2021 off the coast of Scotland.
Together, these assets have demonstrated robustness in severe Atlantic and North Sea conditions, withstanding waves of up to 20 meters and winds of up to 214 Km/h (equivalent to a Category 4 typhoon), while delivering exceptional performance.
The WindFloat® platforms enable maximum wind turbine generation through a combination of empirically validated features:
- Semisubmersible architecture, providing a stable platform that enables the system to comply with all wind turbine operational and extreme limits.
- A platform hull trim system that uses water ballast to counteract wind turbine-induced thrust forces, keeps the wind turbine oriented vertically (within 0-2 degrees >97% of the time), increasing energy production by up to 2.5% versus passive platforms.
- A robust and redundant system architecture that is delivering an average platform availability1 of ~99% across the operating fleet.
Julian Arrillaga Costa, Chief Executive Officer said:
“Reaching the 1 TWh milestone is a clear validation of our WindFloat® technology and the expert team we’ve built to support the design, delivery, and operation of floating wind projects worldwide. These projects have exposed us to the full range of complexity in the sector, providing valuable lessons that we are using to continuously refine and improve our technical and commercial offering. This depth of experience provides a strong foundation for delivering derisked, cost-effective commercial projects, supporting our vision of a planet powered by floating wind.”
Building on the experience of WindFloat Atlantic, Kincardine, and the under construction 30 MW Les Éoliennes Flottantes du Golfe du Lion (EFGL) project that will be connected to the grid later this year, Principle Power is working closely with clients, suppliers, and operators to plan the delivery of the first generation of commercial scale floating wind projects in key markets, including France, South Korea, and the UK. These projects expect to feature 12-70 wind turbines of 15-20 MW each, nearly double the rated capacity of the wind turbines installed at WindFloat Atlantic and Kincardine.
The operational data and insights from the first TWh of generation provide a strong basis of confidence for customers and their financial stakeholders, demonstrating that Principle Power and its WindFloat® technologies have the proven track-record to scale floating wind projects and support the global expansion of the industry.
Overview of Principle Power’s operating track record:
- 12 WindFloat® units installed or under installation or decommissioned.
- 13 years of field operational experience and 17 project-years of cumulative operations:
- WindFloat 1: 2011-2016 in Portugal plus 2018-2020 in Scotland.
- WindFloat Atlantic: 2020-present in Portugal.
- Kincardine: 2021-present in Scotland.
- 300,000 hours of cumulative operational experience.
- 1 TWh global WindFloat® power production.
- ~99% platform availability.•0 (zero) lost time incidents.
- 20 m maximum wave height encountered.
- 214 Km/h (59.6 m/s) maximum wind speed encountered (equivalent to category 4 typhoon).
- Completed tow-to-shore wind turbine large corrective operations at Kincardine, proving the technical feasibility of the approach and yielding lessons to optimize planning for future tow-to-shore large correctives.
- Supported the world’s first floating wind in-situ wind turbine large corrective operations at Kincardine, demonstrating feasibility for certain types of major component replacements, and providing optionality to developers.