IEA Task Exploring Integrated Floating Wind Array Designs

The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), French research organisation IFP Energies Nouvelles, and Irish engineering consultancy Gavin and Doherty Geosolutions (GDG) have joined forces on an International Energy Agency (IEA) Task to advance floating wind.

The goal of the Task is to look at the implementation of array scale innovations that will reduce the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) of floating offshore wind.

The Task programme, named ‘Integrated Design of Floating Wind Arrays’, aims to accelerate the sustainable commercialisation of floating wind arrays through a multidisciplinary approach seeking to maximise the technical, social, economic and environmental benefits of large-scale deployments.

The project will look at the factors that affect floating wind technology at the array scale, and consists of four research pillars:

• Curating a set of site conditions representative of the global floating wind deployment pipeline.
• Developing reference array designs for typical site conditions and technology types.
• Cataloguing array-level failure risks and mitigation strategies.
• Identifying critical innovation opportunities and marine spatial planning requirements that will affect floating wind array design and deployment.

This Task supports the strategic goals of the IEA Wind TCP and is primarily focused on the Resource and Site Characterisation and Advanced Technology Priority Areas, but also addresses Social, Environmental and Economic Impacts as well as Communication, Education, and Engagement.

“This is an exciting initiative which will allow GDG to help advance the industry and address critical gaps that will help drive down the costs of floating wind technology”, said Paul Doherty, Managing Director at GDG.