How can an innovative single point mooring system reduce the LCoE of Floating Offshore Wind? A showcase of recent outcomes from the PivotBuoy project

In recent years, an increasing number of floating solutions are proposing the use of a single point mooring (SPM) system instead of multiple mooring points, to allow the system to self-align passively with the wind. By using an SPM in a downwind configuration, X1 Wind has developed an innovative floating system that drastically reduces the weight and Levelized Cost Of Energy (LCOE) of the platform, eliminating the traditional tower structure. For the past two years, X1 Wind has worked on the PivotBuoy project, awarded under the H2020 program, with the objective to reduce the current LCOE of floating wind by 50% through the validation of the PivotBuoy® system, an innovative single point mooring system that aims to reduce the costs of mooring systems and floating platforms, allows faster and cheaper installation and a more reliable and sustainable operation. To validate the potential LCOE reduction, a fully functional prototype of the PivotBuoy system (in a downwind configuration) integrated with a downwind-adapted Vestas V29 will be installed at PLOCAN’s test site in the Canary Islands in Q3 2021. The manufacturing and assembly of the system is already finished and by the time the conference is held, we expect to have the platform commissioned. X1 Wind will in September 2021 be able to provide key insights about the fabrication, transport, assembly, and innovative installation strategies, as well as preliminary results obtained within the project, explaining how the innovative system can drastically reduce manufacturing, assembly, commissioning, and mooring costs of floating offshore wind, while maximizing the use of local content