Odfjell Oceanwind has secured a slot with 24 MW capacity grid connection at the Marine Energy Test Centre (METCentre), where it will install one full-scale floating offshore wind turbine in 2028.
The project, named SCALEWIND, will demonstrate all components involved in a utility scale wind farm including an extra-large wind turbine generator, the Deepsea Star semisubmersible steel foundation, a mooring system, dynamic cables, as well as a subsea infrastructure for collecting and delivering the power to the onshore grid.
Odfjell Oceanwind will also work closely with MetCentre in order to mature and develop the engineering, procurement, installation and commissioning of the seabed infrastructure which will be shared between the SCALEWIND project and potential other future demonstrators at the METCentre.
“Demonstrators like the SCALEWIND project are essential to de-risk floating offshore wind prior to scaling to larger projects like Utsira Nord, INTOG, Scotwind and others. The world has still not seen the technology that is required for developing these multi-turbine and multibillion-dollar projects.
“The largest floating offshore turbine deployed so far is 9.5MW, whilst the Utsira Nord and other utility scale projects are expected to use turbines with more than twice that capacity.
“By deploying a single unit with relevant technology early we will demonstrate to key stakeholders like developers, investors, banks, insurance companies, certification agencies and authorities that the technology is timely reliable and available before much wider commitments are needed for the larger projects to come,” said Per Lund, CEO at Odfjell Oceanwind.
The project is also expected to offer valuable learnings for the supply chain and demonstrate many aspects of industrialization, before scaling to larger commercial projects, Lund added.
The SCALEWIND project will be organized as an alliance and aim to work with forward leaning industry players with a strategic interest in enabling utility scale floating offshore wind.
Relevant industry players will be invited to participate in the project, and interested parties are also encouraged to reach out to OOW in order to learn more about the project and explore potential strategic fit.
As reported earlier, California-based Aikido Technologies signed an agreement with Marin METCentre to deploy 15MW demo project, called AO60, off Norway in 2027.
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