Installed off the coast of Croisic, the floating wind turbine is able to meet the electricity needs of 5,000 families. The 2 MW of the first French floating turbine are “connected”.
France’s first floating turbine started producing clean electricity. After almost a year of commissioning, the wind turbine, installed off the Atlantic coast of the Loire, was connected to the electricity grid.
“The connection of the patch cable and the last round of tests in recent days have enabled the floating turbine […] go into productionThe manufacturers announced.
With its 2 MW of power, it is able to meet the electrical needs of only 5,000 families, but the objective of this installation is not commercial. This turbine is part of the experimental phase of a larger project, called Floatgen.
Launched in 2013, Floatgen is committed to advancing floating turbine technology in the offshore wind sector, making France its starting point. The 2 MW turbine will be the first of the other more powerful wind turbines to be installed in pilot commercial parks.
“This is the starting point for a massive deployment of offshore wind turbines – explain the partners – represents a unique opportunity [para Francia] become the world leader in floating wind power“.
Why is the Floatgen project so important?
Because this technology has the potential to significantly increase the marine area available for offshore wind farms, especially in countries where shallow water is scarce.
These installations, in fact, have no foundations: instead of piles and concrete bases, there is an anchoring system connected to the seabed. The French Vestas V80 floating turbine is installed on the basis of a large square of prestressed reinforced concrete, divided into 16 cells and with a central opening. The platform is anchored to the bottom using 33 meter long nylon cables, a material resistant to marine corrosion and capable of absorbing the movements of the sea.
Currently, the only commercial offshore wind farm with floating turbines is Hywind Scotland. Developed by Statoil, the system has 5 turbines with a total capacity of 30 MW and has been operating since this year in Scottish waters.
More information: floatgen.eu
