FLOAting Wind Energy netwoRk

ended

Wind power is one of the fastest-growing renewable energy technologies and is the second largest form of power generation capacity in Europe. However, 90% of the wind energy is currently produced inland and space is becoming scarce for new installations. Floating Offshore Wind (FOW) represents a unique opportunity for Europe, since deep (>60m) offshore areas represent 60-80% of the European offshore wind potential. However, the sector faces two main challenges: high costs and a gap of skilled human resources. The FLOAting Wind Energy netwoRk (FLOAWER) will provide 13 Early Stage Researchers (ESR) with an interdisciplinary training with the aim to design better performing, economically viable floating wind turbines. As part of their research activity, ESRs will contribute to the development of cutting-edge numerical and experimental tools for the wind resource and the subsystem design (heave-plates, load effects on floaters, substructure) of vertical and horizontal axis wind turbines. Their work will contribute to define cost-effective floating wind turbine designs. FLOAWER network uniquely gathers outstanding academics and FOW industrial leaders, covering the entire offshore wind industry value chain (ie. farm developers, offshore subsystem suppliers -turbine, floater, mooring- and wind resource specialists). ESR will thus benefit from the multidisciplinary expertise of 25 major academic and industrial partners, and a unique panel of research infrastructures, from lab scale (wind tunnel, wave tanks, etc.) to full scale (pre-commercial floating wind turbines and farms). FLOAWER multidisciplinary approach will endow the ESR with scientific, technical, and soft skills to train the new generation of high-profile scientists and engineers, provide them with enhanced career perspectives and address offshore wind energy industry needs. Altogether, FLOAWER will strengthen European wind energy industry leadership and competitiveness.