Wind Catching Systems has received a technology development grant of NOK 22 million (about USD 2.1 million) from government enterprise Enova to support the design, construction and testing of an offshore wind turbine that the company plans to install in its floating multi-turbine structure named the Windcatcher.
The pilot project is planned to be installed at Mehuken wind park on the Norwegian west coast in 2023. In the development phase, Wind Catching Systems will cooperate with companies like Zephyr, Aibel, The Institute for Energy Technology (IFE), and DNV.
“The grant from ENOVA combined with the capital raised from our investors GM Ventures, Ferd and North Energy, will fully finance our turbine development program”, said Ole Heggheim , CEO of Wind Catching Systems.
“This is an important step towards reaching our ambition of establishing floating offshore wind as a sustainable and competitive energy source by offering the most efficient technology.”
The Norway-based company is developing a multi-turbine floating wind power plant with the goal of maximising the energy production per floating structure while enabling a self-contained maintenance system eliminating the need for specialised vessels to support offshore maintenance operations.
The technology is expected to cut acreage use by more than 80 per cent and increase efficiency significantly in comparison to conventional floating offshore wind farms.
Wind Catching Systems’ technology is projected to have a structural design life of 50 years, should cost substantially less to maintain than conventional floating offshore wind solutions, and will aim to solve sustainability issues related to recycling, marine resources, and CO2 emissions from installation and maintenance.
One Wind Catching unit is expected to have the same annual production as five conventional 15 MW offshore wind turbines.
In June, American multinational automotive manufacturing corporation General Motors (GM) decided to invest up to USD 10 million in Wind Catching Systems which is majority owned by Ferd and North Energy.
GM led a Series A investment round to help fund the development and commercialization of the technology.