The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), based in Orkney, Scotland, has concluded concept design for a new 100 MW floating offshore wind test and demonstration site, according to EMEC's release.
As the world’s leading, and only accredited, ocean energy test facility EMEC is aiming to secure a lease for a site ~20 km west of Orkney, further out to sea from its existing wave energy test facility at Billia Croo.
EMEC’s proposed test site will comprise six berths for floating offshore wind turbines of up to 20 MW rated capacity. With water depths of 80-95 meters, large waves and a mean windspeed of 10.7 m/s, the site will offer floating wind developers representative metocean conditions to those in ScotWind, Celtic Seas and future leasing rounds.
Four of the six berths will be grid-connected, while the final two berths will be reserved for alternative applications such as hydrogen generation.
Following extensive research and engagement with industry, the site setup and configuration has been fine-tuned to dovetail the sector’s existing and future requirements, with more than 25 GW of floating wind due to be deployed in UK waters over the next 20 years.
The site has been designed specifically for floating wind developers to de-risk their technologies, putting turbines, floating structures, moorings and other components to the test in an energetic offshore environment. This will enable performance to be refined on a wide range of floating wind technologies prior to commercial scale-up and build-out.
As well as being a catalyst for floating wind R&D and innovation, the test site will make full use of Scapa Flow and plans for it to become an offshore wind hub, supporting future job creation and supply chain development. This will help capture and retain economic benefit from commercial offshore wind projects in Orkney and the Highlands and Islands.
Building on 20 years of experience operating offshore test sites, helping to reduce the time, cost and risk of demonstrating technologies in the sea, EMEC will provide the site management, technical, and supply chain link-up support required to allow developers to focus more intently on developing and demonstrating their technologies.
Xodus Group (Xodus) has provided expert support through the initial design phases and both parties are working to establish a longer-term collaboration with the award-winning X-Academy initiative, ensuring that the facility plays a key role in developing the skills needed to grow the sector.