Aker Solutions Introduces Three Floating Foundation Designs for 15+ MW Wind Turbines

Floating Wind

Aker Solutions has presented three floating wind foundation designs that can support wind turbines with a capacity of 15 MW and beyond.

Aker Solutions

The floaters, named YFloat, CONFloat-Omega, and CONFloat-7C, all have passive ballast systems, with two being concrete foundations and one steel design.

YFloat is the steel floating foundation which, according to Aker Solutions, is an advanced substructure designed to provide a stable and efficient platform for wind turbines. YFloat is of a symmetrical design that facilitates efficient pre-fabrication with the option of local assembly, reducing material usage and simplifying the manufacturing process, the company said on 10 April.

“The YFloat offers scalability that facilitates higher power generation and reduced levelized cost of energy (LCOE)”, Aker Solutions said in a press release.

The two concrete floaters are CONFloat-Omega and CONFloat-7C, a circular concrete floating platform and a concept that draws on the concrete deepwater structure (CONDEEP) design, respectively.

The circular CONFloat-Omega concept features a moonpool at its center and an offset turbine and tower. According to Aker, the foundation was specifically designed for harsh environmental conditions, with the concrete material and robust construction ensuring high resistance to fatigue and minimal maintenance requirements.

CONFloat-7C is a 7-cell configuration featuring a centralised turbine and tower. This design reduces integration and completion draught, enabling a wider range of execution locations and ports, Aker Solution says.

“These three foundations build on our strong heritage in concrete and steel floaters developed through Aker Solutions, and reflect our continued evolution in the offshore wind industry. We are drawing on our experience and expertise to reduce costs and develop efficient products and value chains for future offshore wind projects”, said Henrik Inadomi, Executive Vice President for New Energies at Aker Solutions. 

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