Large 40MW floating wind farm wins approval

• Wind Catching Systems has been given approval for their 40 megawatt (MW) design
•  Its mega-array of smaller rotas arranged in a grid would achieve up to 126MW
• The design allows for a simpler installation

Wind Catching Systems hopes the project will boost the commercial wind energy sector 

Wind Catching Systems, a member of Norwegian Offshore Wind, has been given approval for their 40 megawatt (MW) design, the first of four planned units in a demonstrator project off the coast of Øygarden, Norway.

The company claims its mega-array of smaller rotas arranged in a grid would achieve up to 126MW, or five times the energy of a 15 MW single-rotor turbine, in North Sea conditions. 

The company said the approval is a vital step towards the company securing a licence for the demonstrator project, spearheaded by Wind Catching Systems’ sub-division, Wind Catching Demo AS. 

Additionally, it said the project aims to advance the commercialisation of offshore wind technology. 

As reported by New Atlas, the windcatcher design would allow for simpler installation compared to conventional wind turbines, greater ease of access for maintenance, simpler scalability, and a longer service life of 50 years, as opposed to 30 years for large single-turbine units.  

It reported: “The idea is to share the floating supports between a whole lot of small, relatively lightweight turbines, trussed up in enormous arrays of structural scaffolding, distributing both the weight of the turbine fans and generators, as well as the force supplied by the wind, across a broad area”. 

The scaffolding used on the site provides a strong foundation for small maintenance lifts, which run up and down the turbines.

Ole Heggheim, CEO, Wind Catching Systems, described the approval as: “an important milestone towards the construction of our first commercial demonstrator unit.”