The pan-European project aims to accelerate the roll out of the next generation of floating wind technology by boosting competitiveness and scalability.
Led by a consortium formed by project coordinator X1 Wind, alongside Technip Energies and NextFloat Plus S.A.S, the project aims to deploy a 6MW floating wind platform at a test site in the Mediterranean Sea.
The pre-commercial prototype, named ‘X90’, aims to demonstrate a cost-effective integrated system composed of a structurally efficient and lightweight floating platform with a Single Point Mooring (SPM) and a Tension Leg Platform (TLP).
The consortium said this grant will further advance industrialisation and scale-up of the integrated floating wind solution at 20MW+ scale, and comes after the X90 platform was granted a Statement of Feasibility and a Statement of Compliance from registrar and classification specialist DNV.
In a statement, X1 Wind CEO and co-founder, Alex Raventos, said: “The grant represents a cornerstone in the fundraising for the NextFloat+ Project, adding to finance already secured through the European Commission under the Horizon Europe program, finance secured through the French Government as part of the France 2030 plan operated by ADEME, plus private funding from partners and shareholders.
“Crucially, it will provide an opportunity to drive substantial improvements in the competitiveness of floating wind as we prepare for long-term mass deployment in locations around the world.”
The NextFloat+ Project will build on the findings of the PivotBuoy Project, which proved X1 Wind’s technology by successfully deploying a part-scale prototype in the Canary Islands.
In particular, X1 Wind said it will introduce additional innovations to reduce the LCOE (levelised cost of electricity) of floating wind and its environmental impact, namely the patented quick-connector system and the installation of a bio-boosting system applied on the floater.
The Innovation Fund, financed by EU Emissions Trading System revenues, is a ‘cap and trade’ system to reduce emissions via a carbon market. It focuses on highly innovative clean technologies and big flagship projects with European added value that can bring significant emission and greenhouse gas reductions.
Sor far, a total of €6.5bn has been awarded to over 100 projects spanning across EEA countries. The NextFloat+ Project was awarded its grant in the ‘Large-Scale’ call published in March 2023, on the topic of ‘mid-sized pilots.’
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