Principle Power & EDP to Develop Floating Offshore Wind

WindFloat, originally developed by Marine Innovation & Technology and owned by Principle Power, is a patent pending floating foundation for offshore wind turbines. Principle Power said that the WindFloat dampens wave and turbine induced motion. This could allow wind turbines to be sited in areas there were previously considered inaccessible. Thes areas could have water depth exceeds 50 meters and heavier wind resources.

The terms of the MOA call for Principle Power and EDP to co-develop a three-phased offshore wind power project off the coast of Portugal. The first phase will include the fabrication and installation of a single WindFloat for technology demonstration purposes. Following the successful completion and assessment of the demonstration unit, the second and third phases will include a pre-commercial and commercial deployment respectively.

"Offshore wind is one of our key innovation priorities," said Antonio Mexia, CEO of EDP. "The development of floating foundations for wind turbines is a pre-requisite to the development of offshore wind farms worldwide, as areas in which the sea bed is less than 50-meter deep are scarce and fixed structures in deeper waters are economically not feasible. We believe the WindFloat may be the correct approach to deep-water offshore wind farms."

For more on Principle Power's WindFloat technology, check out a story RenewableEnergyWorld.com ran in December called, Deepwater Offshore Wind Power Generation Using Oil and Gas Platform Technology.