Periodic Reporting for period 3 - COREWIND (COst REduction and increase performance of floating WIND technology)
Reporting period: 2022-03-01 to 2023-05-31
Wind Power capacity installations continue growing rapidly. It is clearly seen since in 2016, wind overtook coal as the second power generation capacity in Europe. Additionally, EU plans for energy decarbonisation set a path especially relevant and interesting for offshore wind. In this line, Floating Offshore Wind (FOW) presents a large potential which is unexploited up to now, due to a large amount of wind resource existing in deep waters (<60m).
One of the main drawbacks which is hindering floating offshore wind advent is the cost. Such technology is much more expensive than any existing other (currently, its average LCOE is above 100€/MWh); thus, a reduction of the cost is a need to ensure floating wind technology establishment.
In this regard, COREWIND looks beyond the state of the art of the floating technology with the aim of accelerating the path towards its commercial deployment by developing and validating innovative and cost-effective solutions that allows to solve the most critical barrier of floating offshore wind technology, the cost. The project have achieved an Average LCOE per site (3 different locations) in the range 58.8-102.5€/MWh depending on location, technology and scenario (values for 300MW case), achieving better results than initially expected which was a target reduction of 15% compared to 127€MWh of BFOWs (~108€/MWh) presenting a reduction by the end of the project (i.e. 80€/MWh approximately as average) through disruptive technologies and procedures for floating wind sector; paving the way for achieving future cost reductions objectives earlier.
COREWIND project main objective is to achieve significant cost reductions and enhance performance of floating wind technology by concentrating the research and optimization efforts on two essential components, the mooring and anchoring systems and power dynamic cables. The development of key cost-effective and reliable innovative solutions are applied to two different concrete-based floating substructures designs (semi-submersible and spar) supporting very large wind turbines (15 MW). Special focus is given to develop and validate integrated solutions that significantly improve installation techniques and operation and maintenance (O&M) activities. Such innovations aim to not only reduce costs from new concepts but also through technology standardization and market uptake (i.e. the same components may be used under different floater concepts) and digitalization for both better design process and enhanced operation and maintenance.
One of the main drawbacks which is hindering floating offshore wind advent is the cost. Such technology is much more expensive than any existing other (currently, its average LCOE is above 100€/MWh); thus, a reduction of the cost is a need to ensure floating wind technology establishment.
In this regard, COREWIND looks beyond the state of the art of the floating technology with the aim of accelerating the path towards its commercial deployment by developing and validating innovative and cost-effective solutions that allows to solve the most critical barrier of floating offshore wind technology, the cost. The project have achieved an Average LCOE per site (3 different locations) in the range 58.8-102.5€/MWh depending on location, technology and scenario (values for 300MW case), achieving better results than initially expected which was a target reduction of 15% compared to 127€MWh of BFOWs (~108€/MWh) presenting a reduction by the end of the project (i.e. 80€/MWh approximately as average) through disruptive technologies and procedures for floating wind sector; paving the way for achieving future cost reductions objectives earlier.
COREWIND project main objective is to achieve significant cost reductions and enhance performance of floating wind technology by concentrating the research and optimization efforts on two essential components, the mooring and anchoring systems and power dynamic cables. The development of key cost-effective and reliable innovative solutions are applied to two different concrete-based floating substructures designs (semi-submersible and spar) supporting very large wind turbines (15 MW). Special focus is given to develop and validate integrated solutions that significantly improve installation techniques and operation and maintenance (O&M) activities. Such innovations aim to not only reduce costs from new concepts but also through technology standardization and market uptake (i.e. the same components may be used under different floater concepts) and digitalization for both better design process and enhanced operation and maintenance.
During the project, COREWIND has worked hard to deliver key results and advances. These include the public available 15MW wind turbine model, as well as the ACTIVEFLOAT and WINDCRETE 15MW OpenFast models. Optimized and integrated developments of dynamic cables and station keeping systems have been performed and obtained. Also, Innovations related to digitalization, O&M and installation have been performed including innovative vessel design and activities on Structural Health Monitoring, Advanced control of wind farm, Digital Twin and BIM. The LCOE/LCA tool (FOWAPP) has been developed and used for the LCOE and LCA evaluation for the different technologies, scenarios and locations (ranging from 60€/MWh up to 103€/MWh). Also, the hybrid integrated testing has been developed at FIHAC and POLIMI facilities; additionally, material samples for the real marine environment impact analysis has been performed. It is worth noting that more than 25 exploitable results including 13 products, 8 new services and 4 Knowledge & IP protection.
Three open webinars have been made and recorded (available on project webpage) presenting project advanced and objectives reaching above 500 attendees each as well as final hybrid event with more than 120 attendees at WindEurope.
The project have developed more than 75 publications (40 deliverables and 37 scientific publications. Also a Zenodo community is active where publications, reports and experimental data models are available as well as a BIM model in order site for Open Science compliance.
Three open webinars have been made and recorded (available on project webpage) presenting project advanced and objectives reaching above 500 attendees each as well as final hybrid event with more than 120 attendees at WindEurope.
The project have developed more than 75 publications (40 deliverables and 37 scientific publications. Also a Zenodo community is active where publications, reports and experimental data models are available as well as a BIM model in order site for Open Science compliance.
COREWIND project aims to foster cost-effectiveness of floating wind by a twofold procedure, incremental innovations as well disruptive new concepts. Those include the development of upscaled concrete-based floater technologies upt to 15MW wind turbines; advanced materials and technologies for station keeping and cables, digitalization, among others.
In this regard, there are several expected impacts resulting from the development and exploitation of COREWIND technologies, tools and procedures ranging from the better economics such as lower LCOE, CAPEX and OPEX of offshore floating wind energy to improved system performance passing though benefits for economy, society and environment.
From the economic perspective it aims to ensure a cost reduction of at least 15% compared with current Bottom-Fixed Offshore Wind The project also will provide advances on numericla tools which mostly will be made available to foster research and the whole sector, including the OpenFast models of WindTurbine and floaters.
In addition, the objetive of the project is to reach society from its wide spectra from academia, industry and general public.
The final outcome of COREWIND is to ensure the advent of floating wind.
In this regard, there are several expected impacts resulting from the development and exploitation of COREWIND technologies, tools and procedures ranging from the better economics such as lower LCOE, CAPEX and OPEX of offshore floating wind energy to improved system performance passing though benefits for economy, society and environment.
From the economic perspective it aims to ensure a cost reduction of at least 15% compared with current Bottom-Fixed Offshore Wind The project also will provide advances on numericla tools which mostly will be made available to foster research and the whole sector, including the OpenFast models of WindTurbine and floaters.
In addition, the objetive of the project is to reach society from its wide spectra from academia, industry and general public.
The final outcome of COREWIND is to ensure the advent of floating wind.