Wind farm technology may be about to surge forward with the approval of a design for a futuristic floating “wall of wind turbines” called the Windcatcher. The innovative offshore renewable energy infrastructure marvel, which is intended to be installed on the sea, is the brainchild of Norwegian company Wind Catching Systems (WCS), and there’s nothing else like it being developed anywhere in the world.
The Windcatcher wall of turbines has been granted design approval
Wind Catching Systems is a Norwegian company whose offshore 40 MW floating wind farm concept has just been granted design approval. The unique wind energy system features a multitude of smaller 1MW units fitted to a frame that generate a combined capacity of 40 MW. It’s a novel concept far removed from standard wind farm infrastructure, which is oriented to giant, freestanding units.
WCS promises that the Windcatcher will be at least twice as efficient as the traditional models, and they’re confident that the concept will translate into reality in the medium-term future.
The next phase is on the horizon
The one-of-a-kind turbine wall design was awarded certification from global classification agency DNV (Det Norske Veritas). This means that the design is technically feasible and the project can move to the next phase. According to WCS CEO Ole Heggheim, the next step is constructing a demonstrator unit to attract investors by proving the Windcatcher’s potential.
What kind of output will the Windcatcher deliver?
The Windcatcher design features multitudes of small-scale individual 1 MW turbines on an offshore floating framework, and the vision can be compared to a net to catch the wind. WCS says that the mini-turbines are capable of harvesting 250% more energy per square foot than standard designs, and the projected generation capacity from the initial installation is a decent 40 MW, producing an estimated 99 GWh annually.
WCS is confident that its turbine system is capable of generating “five times the electricity of a 15 MW standalone turbine system in North Sea conditions and even more in certain high-wind locations around the world.”
WCS CEO Ole Heggheim applauded the Windcatcher project in a social media post, highlighting its potential to revolutionize the offshore wind industry:
“This is an important milestone towards the construction of our first commercial demonstrator unit.”
A different wind innovation has been launched in the renewable sector by an energy startup that’s come up with a wind turbine design that doesn’t incorporate blades. The revolutionary unit looks like a basic mast and it works by turning vibrational energy into electricity.
Where will the Windcatcher technology be deployed?
WCS has been granted permission to apply for a license for a demonstration project off the coast of Oygarden in southwest Norway. Aside from needing to apply a real test of viability to make sure the installation will function as intended and weather the sea conditions, WCS wants to gather learnings to apply to larger-scale models. The ultimate target is a capacity of 126 MW. The cost target is $48 to $72 per MWh.
An investment of $900,000 into Wind Catching Systems’ prototype has been secured from Norway’s Enova fund. WCS hopes to prove that the cost of floating wind generation can be reduced by using a frame of smaller turbines in place of fewer giant ones.
The Windcatcher has been optimized for all offshore conditions
The Windcatcher’s modular system is designed to handle the roughest of Europe’s northern ocean conditions, which is the initial targeted area of operation. The output will be able to be scaled down according to energy demand, meaning there’s no risk of overloading the grid. A central offshore substation called a “mother vessel” will connect all the units and then transfer the energy to the grid.
In another part of the world, researchers are working on another innovation in wind technology with the tallest wind turbine in the United States. The giant test installation on the campus of West Texas A&M University is more than twice as tall as the Statue of Liberty.