The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Wind Energy Technologies Offices (WETO) and Innovation Fund Denmark are planning to release a USD 4.2 million opportunity to advance floating offshore wind.
The announcement builds on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between DOE, the Denmark Ministry of Higher Education and Science, the Denmark Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities, and the Innovation Fund Denmark signed in 2021.
The joint funding will specifically target the improvement of mooring technologies and methods used to secure floating platforms to the seafloor, according to DOE.
DOE and Innovation Fund Denmark are seeking proposals addressing five topic areas : compatibility strategies for mooring, cabling, and coexistence; mass-producible, high-reliability moorings; novel station-keeping systems and components; monitoring and inspection technologies for moorings; open topic: research and development that more broadly support mooring systems for industry-scale deployment of floating offshore wind.
This is a joint funding opportunity between the US and Denmark to advance the global floating offshore wind industry by encouraging bilateral collaboration to increase the impact of research and development in each country, according to DOE.
“About two-thirds of U.S. offshore wind energy potential exists over waters too deep for today’s fixed-bottom wind turbine foundations, and instead require floating platforms. This partnership between DOE and Innovation Fund Denmark will advance floating offshore wind R&D to further each nation’s respective climate goals,” said Geri Richmond , DOE Under Secretary for Science & Innovation.
“This effort supports the Floating Offshore Wind Shot TM , a target to reduce the cost of floating offshore wind in the U.S. 70% by 2035.”
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Innovation Fund Denmark and WETO are each contributing approximately USD 2 million.
Performing teams must include both US and Danish entities collaborating on each awarded project and should include significant effort from both US and Danish partners, DOE said.
According to the department, US applicants must include minority-serving institutions and can involve other US participants.
The funding is expected to be released this spring with four or more projects planned to be awarded.