X1 Wind

Project "X1 Wind" data sheet

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 Partnership

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 Project objective

X1 Wind is developing a disruptive floating wind system with the potential to make a step change in the sector. Europe’s best wind energy resources are located offshore in deep waters with an estimated potential of 4.000GW. This is why the European Commission has identified the development of floating substructures for deeper waters as one of the key strategic targets in the SET-Plan Declaration. However there are several challenges to be overcome, mainly related to the need to reduce its costs: current solutions use “marinized” traditional turbines mounted on the top of existing Oil&Gas platforms resulting in very heavy structures and requiring large and expensive vessels to be installed. Unlike other floating designs, X1 Wind has redesigned an integrated solution which takes advantage of its floatability instead of working against it. By using a downwind configuration and a single point mooring system, we allow the floating platforms to weathervane, self-orientating itself with the wind. By doing this we can remove the active yaw system, the ballast system and the tower which are no longer required, reducing the platform weight by 80% and the maintenance required. The impact is a 50% reduction of the cost of energy. The concept is the result of more than 20 years of combined experience and learning of its founding team in offshore renewables, who have worked in some of the leading companies in the sector. Since its creation in 2017, this innovative SME has received international recognition with the Cleantech Camp prize and the selection into Singularity University Incubator’s program (in NASA Ames research Centre in Silicon Valley). We have also received letters of interest of two leading European utilities (Gas Natural Fenosa and EDP Renewables) and turbine manufacturer Alstom Wind / GE and we are collaborating with of the most experienced R&D centre in the sector (WavEC, Plocan and DTU) to bring our technology to the market.