The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) approved the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) documents for a deep water floating offshore wind platform design from ECO TLP, Inc. and MOCEAN-Offshore BV, according to ABS's release.
The design supports the largest wind turbines on the market and uses slip-formed cylindrical concrete hulls with a variety of anchor types, combined with a hybrid spar tension-leg mooring system that reduces the footprint compared to traditional catenary mooring floaters.
“In many parts of the world, floating offshore wind power will be important for the overall energy mix by expanding the reach of renewable electricity generation to waters that are too deep for fixed-bottom projects. ABS is proud to work with innovative companies like ECO TLP Inc. who are designing structures that address and solve challenges related to renewable energy manufacture, installation and costs,” said Rob Langford, ABS Vice President, Global Offshore Renewables.
The approval allows ECO TLP® to proceed with project testing and commercialization for site-specific initiatives.
“ABS approval for non-site-specific FEED for a wide range of water depths and wind turbines sizes allows ECO TLP® to significantly reduce the certification process for commercial projects. Achieving this is an important milestone for our solution, allowing us to operate in the water safely and qualify for financial and insurance terms. We are proud to offer an economical, versatile, ecologically friendly platform that optimizes the wind turbine performance, substantially lowering operational and maintenance costs of the array over its lifetime,” said Nicole Johnson Murphy, CEO, ECO TLP Inc.
The design is supported by MOCEAN-Offshore BV and Arup International Projects Ltd. for marine, civil, and structural engineering needs.
“Achieving ABS approval is a recognition to the effort and dedication of Mocean's engineering team over the past few years. We take great pride in working with the ECO TLP team as its lead engineering partner and look forward to contributing our expertise as we advance this design from concept to construction,” said Jort Braun, General Manager at Mocean Offshore.
“Arup are delighted to have supported ECO TLP in reaching this milestone towards realizing an innovative design that supports the low carbon energy transition,” said Chris Jackson, Project Manager, Arup International Projects Ltd.
The approval marks the transition of the design into commercialization for site-specific projects, with delivery details pending further development. ABS continues to provide advisory and technical review solutions to minimize risk and enhance safety in offshore renewable energy projects.
American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) is a U.S.-based classification society founded in 1862, headquartered in Houston, Texas, providing safety and certification services for maritime and offshore industries.
ECO TLP, Inc. is a California-based company headquartered in San Carlos, focused on designing deep-water floating offshore wind platforms, established to innovate renewable energy solutions.
MOCEAN-Offshore BV is a Dutch engineering firm based in Rotterdam, founded to provide specialized marine and offshore engineering services, particularly for renewable energy projects.
Arup International Projects Ltd. is an engineering and consulting firm established in 1946, headquartered in London, offering expertise in infrastructure, energy, and sustainability projects.