ARCWIND: Adaptation and implementation of floating wind energy conversion technology for the Atlantic region

The countries of the Atlantic Arc have the world’s best offshore wind resource and there is huge opportunity to develop a viable industry supporting thousands of jobs as well as helping to meet targets for green energy production.

The industry is now progressing to other sites and this collaborative project contributes to the transition from fixed to floating platform systems for use in deeper water and more exposed sites in the Atlantic Arc.

The assessment of wind energy potential in the Atlantic Arc by complementing existing wind data with detailed information resulting from a regional atmospheric model and remote sensed data. A multicriteria approach for selecting the locations of the wind energy farms will be developed and applied to the Atlantic region countries.

• The feasibility and suitability of having different types of floating wind turbines installed in the various locations considering the specific features of the sites and the main types of floating structures: semi submersibles, TLP and spar type. High power turbine concepts and innovative control algorithms will be considered. Case studies will then be chosen for each country in which a specific type of platform will be studied.
• Farms with these platforms will be considered for cost assessment, logistics and maintenance planning as well as risk assessment. Overall realistic assessments of production, costs and economic feasibility will be produced.

Project data:

A collaborative project with partners around the Atlantic Area and a European Regional Development Fund.

• Project no: ARCWIND – EAPA_344/2016.
• Consortium: The research is led by Instituto Superior Técnico Portugal and brings together leading companies from different countries: Portugal: Agência Regional da Energia e Ambiente da Regi?o Autónoma da Madeira and Centro de Investiga??o em Energia REN-State Grid. Spain: Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Centro Nacional de Energías Renovables, Universidade da Coru?a, ESTEYCO, Saitec and Vicinay Marine Innovación. France: Institut Fran?ais pour la Recherche et l’Exploitation de la MER and France Energies Marines. United Kingdom: Liverpool John Moores University, Mersey Maritime and European Marine Energy Centre. Ireland: University College Cork.
• Execution Period: 1st of November 2017 – 31st of October 2021.

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