Wind energy is a key contributor to the European energy transition that is urgently needed not only to limit climate change and ensure member states meet their greenhouse gas reduction targets, but also to secure a competitive energy supply to the European economy in replacement of old power plants to be dismantled in the coming years and to ensure energy security independently from any geopolitical instability. In particular, offshore wind has emerged as a highly effective and cost-competitive solution where Europe has established a worldwide unrivalled leadership. But current technologies limit offshore wind deployment to shallow water depth (below 40m) restricting the market potential to a few countries (like UK, Germany and Denmark), while the vast majority and the best wind resources are located in deeper area. The installation of wind turbines on floating foundations inevitably appears as the future of offshore wind. Floating foundation solutions unleash the market potential with no restriction on the water depth or on the seabed soil conditions, allowing to develop projects further offshore where the wind resource is stronger and the visual impact almost null.
The main objective of LEADFLOAT is to impose IDEOL’s technology as the most competitive in the floating wind market by achieving low cost of production, fast and feasible deployment (construction, WT assembly at port, offshore towing & installation, O&M) and optimal operational behavior (damping pool concept).
