Floating wind turbine foundation design garners ABS approval

ABS has granted approval in principle (AIP) to Bassoe Technology for its T-Floater floating wind turbine foundation design.

The foundation is designed to carry a 10-MW turbine in the harsh conditions of the North Sea.

Three columns and T-shaped pontoons allow transport of multiple T-Floater hulls on a dry tow vessel or alternatively in modules for in-water assembly. The design is intended to operate with a tow-out draft of only eight metres (26 feet) with the turbine installed. This facilitates flexibility in assembly port selection by allowing quayside installation of the tower and turbine close to the wind farm.

Joakim Nilsson, managing director, Bassoe Technology, said: “The T-Floater has been designed to meet the demand for industrialization and effective logistic solutions for floating wind. The ability to transport up to six completed 15-MW T-Floaters on a single dry tow vessel will allow for cost-efficient construction and transportation.

“Together with our parent company, CIMC Raffles, we will have the ability to deliver more than 50 T-Floaters per year, but we will also, due to the in-water assembly possibility, be able to work together with local shipyards with limited width of dry-docks/slip-ways to meet local content requirements.”

The AIP verifies that the design is feasible for the intended application and, in principle, complies with the applicable requirements of the ABS Guide for Building and Classing Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Installations.

When constructed, the units will qualify for the ABS Class notations ✠A1, Offshore Wind

Turbine (Floating), (S), Central North Sea, and FL(25).

Source: Offshore Magazine