France's Floatgen Floating Wind Turbine Surpasses 40 GWh in Eight Years of Operation

en.Wedoany.com Reported - BW Ideol's 2 MW Floatgen floating wind turbine has completed eight full years of operation at the SEM-REV offshore test site near Le Croisic, France, with cumulative power generation exceeding 40 GWh.

The unit, featuring BW Ideol's concrete Damping Pool floating foundation, was commissioned in 2018. Since commissioning, its average technical availability has exceeded 92%; in December 2023, the turbine recorded a monthly capacity factor of 61.96%.

During its offshore service, the unit has endured harsh weather conditions. When Storm Ciaran struck, Floatgen recorded a maximum wave height of 12.9 meters; BW Ideol stated that the floating foundation's motion did not affect the turbine's power generation.

Floatgen was originally planned for a five-year demonstration period, after which it continued operating. In 2024, following assessments of the floating foundation and turbine condition, BW Ideol decided to extend the operational period by another five years, confirming that the unit could remain offshore without major maintenance.

The extension arrangement has also supported subsequent research and development. The Velella project will focus on optimizing the economic and environmental performance of BW Ideol's floating foundation, incorporating life-cycle assessments; the Piaff & Co project, supported by data from Floatgen, is used to identify species that may be affected and their interactions with the turbine.

BW Ideol regards the Floatgen project as a reference case for local manufacturing of floating wind power. The concrete foundation was built at the Port of Saint-Nazaire, approximately 40 kilometers from the installation site, creating up to 70 direct jobs during construction; the mooring lines were manufactured by LeBéon Manufacturing in Brittany. The company stated that approximately €20 million was spent with French suppliers.

The foundation solution adopted by Floatgen originates from BW Ideol's Damping Pool concept, whose core is to enhance the hydrodynamic performance and stability of the floating foundation through a central moonpool arrangement. Building on this, BW Ideol has applied the Damping Pool technology to larger commercial floating wind applications, developing a standardized foundation solution suited for mass production.