Project description
A sustainable future for floating wind farms
In the ever-expanding pursuit of renewable energy, offshore wind power faces challenges, particularly with the deployment of large-scale floating wind turbines (FWTs). Bulky components, limited recyclability, and environmental impact hamper progress. With this in mind, the EU-funded MADE4WIND project aims to develop and test innovative components for a 15 MW FWT. Specifically, the project will introduce new designs and manufacturing techniques. These include breakthroughs in lightweight materials, recyclability, and advanced software tools that promise a sustainable future for offshore wind energy. Collaborating with experts spanning academia, consultancy, and industry, MADE4WIND aims to unlock the massive deployment of >15 MW floating wind farms globally, heralding a sustainable future.
Objective
MADE4WIND aims to develop and test innovative components' concepts for a 15MW offshore Floating Wind Turbine (FWT) consisting of new designs and manufacturing techniques for blades, substructure, and drivetrain.
The main results obtained in the project will be:
- Novel FWT component design (and validation at reduced-scale): Lighter and recyclable WT blades; Improved TLP substructure (including lightweight floater concept, smaller gravity anchor and lighter tendons); and Improved drivetrain design (by a Compact generator with less rare-earths, and more reliable converter).
- New material applications: new blade toughening material; new concrete; and Aluminum rebars for floating substructure.
- New manufacturing processes: Preform for manufacturing blades.
- Recyclability/Reuse of composites from Blades, concrete from substructure, and Aluminum rebars.
- New software tools: Novel maintenance strategy and remote control systems; Improved modelling tool for LCoE analysis; Virtual model of 15MW FWT.
- Guidelines: Integrated sustainability assessment; Biodiversity protection strategy; Training pathways for offshore wind local industry; Position paper with Offshore Wind stakeholders.
These innovations will jointly allow future FWT to include new circular lightweight materials, minimize the impact of sea habitats, increase operational availability, reduce maintenance needs and minimize LCoE; thus, unlocking the massive deployment of >15MW floating WFs in Europe and worldwide.
Partners' expertise will be key for project success, as they cover different expertise along the offshore wind value chain: Academia (SINTEF, AAU, NTNU, IFEU), consultancy (ZABALA), material suppliers (Norsk Hydro, Fibertex), WT components manufacturers (Acciona, Ingeteam, Indar) and WT manufacturer (Siemens-Gamesa). Moreover, in addition to partners' research skills, MADE4WIND proposes a strong dissemination plan, clustering with relevant Offshore Wind stakeholders, to maximise future impacts.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringmanufacturing engineering
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringcontrol systems
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcomposites
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energywind power
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystems
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
7034 Trondheim
Norway