To meet the EU's climate neutrality target by 2050, the European Commission has committed to increasing offshore wind capacity from the current 19 GW to at least 60 GW by 2030 and 300 GW by 2050. This represents a fifteenfold increase—an ambitious and exponential growth trajectory.
However, achieving these targets is hindered by the limitations of traditional bottom-fixed technology, which relies on shallow waters that are already highly utilized. In fact, the available space in shallow waters is estimated to cap offshore wind capacity at 112 GW—just over one-third of the 2050 goal.
To bridge this gap, floating wind platforms are essential. They allow the deployment of large turbines in deep waters farther from shore, where wind conditions are more favorable—blowing more consistently and at higher average speeds. This unlocks vast new areas for offshore wind development across EU waters.
Despite its potential, floating wind still faces significant challenges:
Costs (LCOE) must be reduced dramatically to become competitive.
Floating platform construction requires extensive port infrastructure, currently available only in a handful of global locations.
Larger turbines (>15 MW) pose issues of stability, safety, and performance on existing platform designs.
To address these challenges, we have developed and patented a disruptive concrete-based floating platform. Our design enables the safe deployment of the largest turbines, while dramatically reducing costs. It is compatible with concrete caisson construction and can be built using slip-forming techniques, eliminating the need for specialized port facilities.
Our solution is, to the best of our knowledge, the most advanced technology available for the efficient, affordable, and safe installation of the next generation of turbines (15–22 MW). Project calculations show that our platform can achieve a Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) up to 50% lower than competing concrete solutions and nearly 60% lower than steel alternatives in a mature market.
This innovation is the focus of our project, ARCHIME3, which has received funding from the EIC Accelerator Program. Our key objectives were:
To demonstrate, through calculations and physical model testing, that the platform meets industrial standards for turbines 15-22 MW.
To obtain the Approval in Principle certification as the first step in the certification roadmap.
To achieve Basic Design Certification—the most critical milestone in the certification process.
To demonstrate that the platform can be built using slip-forming in record time by conducting the first full-scale construction mock-up of the manufacturing process.
