Iberdrola launches floating turbine R&D project

Oct 10, 2014 - Spanish utility Iberdrola (MCE:IBE) and a couple of partners have started an initiative to build a floating wind turbine that will aim to “drastically shorten installation times and cut costs” for building wind farms off the UK.

Iberdrola has teamed up with the Scottish University of Strathclyde and the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult to implement the TLPWIND project. The budget of the scheme, which is backed by innovation agency Innovate UK, exceeds EUR 1 million (USD 1.3m), Iberdrola said on Thursday. The partners will conduct research and development (R&D) in order to encourage the construction of offshore wind farms in the UK in areas where this is currently not feasible due to the water depth.

The floating wind turbine will be mounted on a tension leg platform suitable for deployment in water depths of between 60 metres (197 ft) and 100 metres. The device, which will be optimised by dimensions and steel weight to cut construction costs, will be moored to the seabed using tensioned cables.

Iberdrola plans to carry out most of the installation works on land and then move the infrastructure out to sea, expected to further reduce costs.

(EUR 1.0 = USD 1.270)

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