The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $21 million in funding for three projects supporting offshore wind energy technology demonstration and resource characterisation.
Atkins of Houston, Texas, will develop a full-scale design of a floating offshore wind platform capable of supporting a 10+ megawatt turbine, using a scale model testing and simulation methodology previously used for oil and gas floating production facilities. The design is planned for installation and grid connection at one of Mayflower Wind’s lease areas in the Atlantic Ocean.
The University of Maine will design, demonstrate, and validate a synthetic rope mooring for floating offshore wind turbines, which is expected to reduce the impact of offshore wind development on commercial fishing and reduce costs. The mooring system will be demonstrated on a full-scale floating offshore wind turbine as part of the New England Aqua Ventus I project.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution of Massachusetts will collect high-quality offshore wind resource data off the coasts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, then use the data to improve atmosphere-ocean simulation tools and reduce uncertainty in offshore wind resource assessment and forecasting.
