Vestas signs up for floating wind turbine project

27 February 2011


Vestas is to supply the wind turbine for an offshore wind project demonstrating the use of a semi-submersible floating platform after signing an agreement with the project's developers.

The Danish wind turbine manufacturer has signed an agreement with WindPlus to participate in the WindFloat project, which, say its backers, has the potential to lay the foundations for the further development of the offshore wind energy market.

Vestas' contract with WindPlus, a joint venture company led by Portugal's EDP Group, includes delivery, installation and commissioning of a Vestas V80-2.0MW wind turbine off the coast of Portugal on a semi-submersible floating structure.

The project represents the first ever deployment worldwide of a wind turbine on a full-scale semi-submersible floating structure. The structure will be tested for at least 12 months to validate its performance.

According to Vestas, the WindFloat platform includes design features that help to dampen motion induced by both waves and the wind turbines themselves. If the project succeeds, it could open the way for the construction of wind farms in areas with water depths of over 50 m.

“EDP has selected offshore wind energy as one of its five innovation priorities and the WindFloat is one of the most promising technologies in this area. Pending results of this key demonstration stage, EDP will be better positioned to tackle offshore wind challenges worldwide,” asserted António Mexia, CEO of EDP.




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