Project set up to reduce cost of floating wind O&M
A French research project has been launched to try and reduce the costs associated with floating wind farm maintenance.
‘BATSO’ is a consortium comprising floating wind developer BW Ideol; co-ordinator and sea trial leader Fondation Open-C; engineering school Centrale Nantes; and EDF Renewables.
Funded with €2.9 million from ADEME – part of the France 2030 state investment plan – the project aims ‘to define and validate tools and methods for the replacement of major components in offshore wind turbines’ finding methods that are less costly and more environmentally sustainable, it says.
Essentially the consortium will seek ways to carry out maintenance operations at sea, rather than bringing everything back to shore.
Without giving many details, BATSO says it will specifically be looking at using a technology already used in onshore wind – lifting from a crane mounted on the nacelle itself, then developing guiding solutions along the tower.
“Our expertise will enable the design and development of a lifting system adapted to marine constraints, as well as the numerical and experimental modelling of lifting operations on floating platforms, ultimately benefiting the environmental impact of floating wind energy,” said Jean-Baptiste Avrillier, director of Centrale Nantes.
The project’s funding is intended to last for three years, with each member of the consortium leading different parts: BW Ideol with its ‘Damping Pool’ floating technology; Centrale Nantes for basin testing and designing cable robot models; Open-C for testing and operating the proposed site; and EDF providing maintenance and lending its expertise as a project developer and offshore wind operator.
“Addressing the challenges of heavy maintenance for offshore wind turbines is crucial for establishing a robust floating wind sector in Franc,” said Paul de la Guérivière, co-founder and CEO of BW Ideol. “These new maintenance products and services, which are less costly and more environmentally friendly, can be deployed in the floating wind market at pilot and pre-commercial farms by 2027, and at commercial farms by 2030.
“We will make our Floatgen turbine, whose lifespan has been extended by an additional five years, available to accommodate such R&D projects.”
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