The cost of offshore wind energy could fall to below £85/MWh by the mid-2020s if an innovative floating platform technology is deployed, according to a new study.
Glosten Associates has carried out an engineering design study of its tension leg floating platform (TLP) demonstrator and believes that further cost reductions would be possible as the technology matures.
The firm carried out the study of its PelaStar TLP design for the UK's Energy Technologies Institute (ETI), which is involved in a number of initiatives to improve reliability and reduce costs in the offshore wind sector.
Glosten's floating platform is designed to provide high capacity factors in wind speeds exceeding 10 m/s in water between 60 and 1200 m deep. The firm believes that the technology would enable the UK to tap more of its wind energy resources affordably.
"We completed a substantial amount of engineering, design and model testing, as well as project execution planning and installation engineering, and are pleased to find the results have validated our earlier work," said William Hurley, Glosten Project Manager. "It shows a highly promising opportunistic path for the industry to achieve and exceed cost targets for the end of the decade and beyond to make it a commercially attractive option. We are ready for a full-scale 6 MW demonstration project."
Sian Crampsie
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