Sustainable station-keeping systems for floating wind

To meet EU net zero targets requires a six times increase in offshore wind deployment rate, primarily in deep seas where floating offshore wind (FOW) is needed. To achieve this growth requires FOW to be economic, sustainable and supported by a wide supply chain. TAILWIND is focussed on station-keeping systems of FOW, which comprise mooring lines and anchoring systems. The project will unlock identified opportunities for cost reduction, reduced environmental impact and material use, and also supply chain diversification. TAILWIND will integrate new experimental evidence, novel technologies and innovative methodologies, across mooring lines and anchors, and will quantify the resulting benefits for the overall floating system design. All innovations will be sustainable-by-design, integrating environmental, societal and economic benefits. For mooring lines, new synthetic rope technologies will be mechanically and chemically tested to demonstrate their suitability for small-footprint ‘taut’ moorings, validating new response models. For anchoring, geotechnical centrifuge testing and advanced soil element testing will underpin two advances: (i) new response models for the long-term loading particular to FOW, and (ii) the validation of novel anchors types including cluster anchors that are “silently” installed from small vessels and are suited to shared moorings. The new technologies for mooring lines and anchors will allow smaller and lighter station keeping systems, manufactured and installed by a wider supply chain. TAILWIND will distill the models into system optimisation tools, unlocking further floater optimisation and cost reduction. Finally, an integrated life cycle assessment will quantify the economic, social and environmental impact of TAILWIND’s technologies. TAILWIND unites a diverse consortium of 12 organisations from 8 European countries, located across the emerging FOW development regions, and spanning academia, consulting, construction and manufacture.