11-Feb-2022 | Market Research Store
Nuclear power plants produce 3 of France's grid power, however, that picture is changing. The nation intends to produce one-third of its electric energy from renewables. Wind and solar farms have sprouted up across the country, and now the nation is on the verge of developing a solution so revolutionary that it would never touch land in any way: the floating wind farm. "Floating wind turbines are very innovative and have the potential to be an important part of the future energy mix," stated Léonore Petit, strategy and business development coordinator, GE.
The floating framework, which is being created by GE and the French naval company DCNS, has the potential to circumvent many of the issues. Instead of being implicated in the sea bed, these turbines will be supported by a concrete and steel floating framework, enabling them to function in depth of 200 meters.
Because the concept is so attractive, the French government has recently confirmed plans for two offshore floating wind farms. The favored wind turbine for one of them, near the island of Groix in the Bay of Biscay, has been declared as GE's Haliade subsea wind turbine.
The place is known among many sailors for having strong winds and rough seas, and each Haliade can produce 6 MW. The program's aim is to check the design's viability including its economics.
The French project joins experiments with floating wind turbines in Japan, Norway, Portugal, and elsewhere.
As per the French renewable energy trade group, Syndicat des Energies Renouvelables (SER), floating wind farms can supply 6 gigawatts of power to France alone by 2030. Petit claims that the technology can be established faster in places where the ocean shelf drops into greater depths, like Japan and the west shoreline of the US.
There are additional advantages to a floating wind farm. Staff members can arrange the turbines in the harbor instead of on the open waters, where poor weather conditions can delay the process and add extra cost. The completed turbines are towed to their end location by a sailboat. Repair work should also be less pricey, according to Petit, since the turbines can be brought back to port for major maintenance instead of being repaired by crews sent out to sea.
If everything goes according to plan, floating wind farms might become a new way to generate renewable energy in areas where most people don't go.