California-based Aikido Technologies has signed an agreement with Marine Energy Test Centre (METCentre) in Haugesund, Norway, to deploy a first-of-its-kind 15MW demo project, called AO60.
Once installed in 2027, the platform will be one of the largest floating wind platforms constructed and deployed to date.
The METCentre has a long history of supporting innovative floating wind projects, including the world’s first floating wind turbine, deployed by Equinor (then Statoil) in 2009. The AO60 project will showcase how the Aikido Platform technology can lower costs while engaging with local Norwegian supply chain partners to assist in the assembly and deployment of the platform. Due to its compact flat-pack configuration, Aikido’s technology can leverage existing maritime infrastructure, ports and vessels already in use in Norway.
The Aikido Platform consists of 13 modular steel components, including columns and trusses, that can be fabricated at existing offshore wind or steel fabrication sites. For the AO60 project, the components will be transported to a final assembly site near the test center, where the platform can be completed in a matter of days, not months, like traditional construction techniques.
The Aikido Platform uses pin joints to complete the assembly of the platform without any major welding or painting work. The pin joints act as hinges and allow the platform to be folded during assembly, taking up just one-third of the space of traditional designs. Once deployed in the water, the platform is able to unfold during a simple ballasting procedure.