Classification society ClassNK has issued an Approval in Principle (AIP) for Principle Power’s WindFloat offshore wind foundation designed for deployment in Japanese waters, featuring a 5MW offshore wind turbine.
The engineering work was carried out under a contract with Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding for a feasibility study performed for NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization).
The issuance of the AIP indicates that the WindFloat floating offshore wind foundation is conceptually feasible in accordance with Japanese design and regulatory standards, that risks have been properly analysed and that ClassNK is satisfied that the engineering for the foundation is suitable for deployment in the offshore environment, Principle Power explained.
“This issuance from ClassNK, added to Approvals in Principle already received from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Bureau Veritas (BV), proves the versatility of the WindFloat design process in adapting to various regulatory standards and local requirements” , said Dominique Roddier , CTO of Principle Power.
The three Approvals in Principle are for projects off the coasts of the United States, Portugal, France and Japan and feature different wind turbines in different environmental conditions, under different regulatory regimes.
“We are quite pleased to receive this Approval in Principle from ClassNK. Along with the other approvals we have received from global Classification Societies, it serves as an indication how far the WindFloat has come and the broad acceptance it has achieved,” said João Metelo , president and CEO of Principle Power. “These approvals are a key demonstration of our progress towards full WindFloat commercialization.”