MODEC, Inc. has received Approval‑in‑Principle (AiP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for its next-generation floating wind turbine concept named i‑TLP™2, also referred to as i‑TLP2‑FOWT, according to the company's release.
The i‑TLP™2 concept is built on MODEC’s experience with tension leg platforms (TLPs). Its design minimizes floater motion and significantly reduces underwater footprint compared with traditional semi‑submersible floating turbines.
Building on enhancements from first‑generation MODEC TLP systems, the i‑TLP™2 enables rapid land‑based assembly and turbine integration, and allows heavy in‑situ maintenance operations post-installation.
As part of the ongoing initiative under Japan’s national Green Innovation Fund, MODEC along with partners — including Toyo Construction, Furukawa Electric, and JERA — previously secured an AiP from ClassNK in May 2024 for a TLP‑type floater and tether system, designed to support 15 MW‑class turbines in floating offshore installations.
That ClassNK AiP was specifically tied to a NEDO‑funded project focused on cost‑reducing technologies for deep‑water wind installations.
MODEC emphasises that the new i‑TLP™2 solution is not only intended to cut CAPEX but also to deliver scalable deployments across diverse seabed conditions.
The floating design can potentially operate in waters deeper than 50 meters, where bottom‑fixed foundations are infeasible, yet without the large mooring footprints required by catenary‑based systems.
MODEC is also advancing another platform concept for bottom‑fixed turbines capable of deployment in water depths up to 100 metres, although this faces greater technical challenges compared to i‑TLP™2.
MODEC, Inc. is a Tokyo‑based engineering and project management company with global leadership in offshore oil and gas production systems. The firm has built a strong reputation for designing and operating FPSO vessels and TLPs. In recent years, it has diversified into floating renewable energy technologies, aiming to commercialize cost‑competitive offshore wind and emerging clean energy solutions by the early 2030s.