BW Ideol unveils floating platform mass production

The approach was unveiled to a panel of utilities and partners at a recent event in Marseille, where the company said its plans were in line with the phase of industrialisation that was happening in the sector, with 22GW awarded in Scotland, 8GW in the US and more awarded or inviting tenders elsewhere.

Essentially it means that BW Ideol would identify suitable ports and install its manufacturing production line there – from where it could produce one floating foundation a week, said Salomé Roussy, communications officer at BW Ideol.

“A single production line can support several projects within the same area,” Roussy said.

“For instance, BW Ideol has already secured strategic access to the Port of Ardersier in Scotland. This production line could supply floating foundations for all of Scotland. 

“Similarly, in the Mediterranean, BW Ideol is conducting a feasibility study with the Port of Fos-sur-Mer. A production line in Fos-sur-Mer could supply floating foundations for the entire Mediterranean Sea.

“Thanks to minimal requirements for port infrastructure (shallow draft for construction, small acreage, etc.), each port will be able to replicate the platform using the same blueprint.

“Floating foundations will be placed in the sea using a load-out barge and then towed to their final destination.”

Concrete used to make the platforms will be produced locally from aggregates derived from nearby quarries, she said.

The floating foundation is optimised for all meteocean conditions prevailing on the main floating wind markets (with three product classes adapted to different environmental conditions) and compatible with all 15MW+ wind turbines currently available, the company says.

The Damping Pool developed and patented by BW Ideol has dimensions of 54×54 metres and a shallow draft of 12 metres while in operation.

It is a square foundation with a central opening that contains the sloshing water to counter swell-induced floater oscillations.

Mooring lines are attached to the seabed to hold it in position, and BW Ideol says the foundation’s design means it can cope with the most severe weather and ocean events.

“The Ideol floating structure was designed for a minimum lifespan of 25 years, but all foundation elements have been designed for extreme events with return periods ranging from 50 to 200 years,” it says.

“The floating wind market is at a crossroads today: tens of gigawatts will need to be built in the coming years, requiring a change in paradigm from the floating foundation suppliers,” said Paul de la Guérivière, founder and CEO of BW Ideol.

“We believe that adopting an approach similar to that of wind turbine manufacturers is necessary: offering a single and standard product, suitable for all geographies and turbines available on the market, produced in series based on manufacturing line serving multiple projects, so that developers can truly commit and know where they are heading.”

Maritime Journal has contacted BW Ideol for further details of the mass production strategy, but at the time of writing had not received a response.