NorthWind partner World Wide Wind AS is partnering with AF Gruppen, Norway’s second largest engineering and construction firm, to test an avant-garde offshore floating wind turbine design. This collaboration will see the initial tests for WWW’s prototype taking place at the AF Gruppen yard located in Vats on Norway’s South West coast.
Bjørn Simonsen, CEO of WWW, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, “We are very proud to test our first prototype in cooperation with AF Gruppen. The launch and subsequent test program present an exciting phase for us, and we are eager to explore further avenues of collaboration.” Simonsen further expressed gratitude for the support WWW has received from AF Gruppen, emphasising the significance of the Vats yard as a testing location.
The prototype in question has a a length of 19 meters and a power output of 30kW. It features two counter-rotating blade sets aligned on a vertical axis, a strategically placed generator at the structure’s base, and a unique design that allows the turbine to tilt with the wind, akin to a sailboat’s mechanism.
Highlighting AF Gruppen’s role in this groundbreaking initiative, Lars Myhre Hjelmeset, Executive Vice President Offshore at AF Gruppen, commented, “Our collaboration with WWW offers a unique opportunity to showcase our capabilities in the offshore wind market at our Vats facilities.” Hjelmeset further highlighted AF Gruppen’s commitment to developing solutions that enhance the production efficiency of wind turbine foundations and their assembly, both at Vats and other facilities.
The current prototype test will be followed by the testing of a 1.2MW pilot in early 2025. WWW aims to introduce a commercial 24 MW turbine by 2030, and claims their design’s scalability allows potential expansion beyond 40MW.
