An offshore eolic wall is confirmed, thanks to a Norwegian company working on a new solution to enhance the clean energy sector and perhaps change the clean energy game altogether. Being put forward by the Wind Catching Systems (WCS) company are tiny turbines packed and floating together. However, a strange effect has been observed that may be changing clean energy as we know it for good.
Norwegian design by the WCS is getting a nod of approval
The company is considering tiny turbines that are closely packed together. While the design does look at many tiny turbines working together, a June 2024 press release revealed that the Windcatcher design received its nod of Approval in Principle (AiP) from DNV. AiP ensures that the design is rather sound.
After gaining the needed approval, the company has already started looking at the application process for building a demonstration on Norway’s southwest coast. Following this, added confidence was ensured when the company decided to test a physical model of the Windcatcher in Norway’s Stadt Towing Tank in order to simulate rough sea conditions. The data gathered was used to refine the design’s viability.
Understanding what the groundbreaking transformation means
The Windcatcher seems to encompass the floating wind farm design with its initial 40MW unit certified by DNV. The offshore eolic wall is, however, not your average wind farm. It relies on hundreds of very small turbines stacked to resemble a grid formation.
The creation looks somewhat like a towering floating wall. Capturing up to 2,5 times more energy per square meter in comparison to the more traditional turbines, the design ensures better power generation. This is a lucrative solution for the many countries that have deeper water zones that are not ideal for the more traditional turbines. The aim is for future scaled versions to be able to reach 126MW per unit, generating an annual output that reaches about 99 GWh, powering over 20,000 households in Europe.
An offshore wind project direction for the future
The WCS is looking at a brighter future for their wind project, as with the support from Enova (the Norwegian state fund), the company has gained 9,3 million Norwegian Krone for the prototype. It is the company’s idea to build its first commercial unit prior to 2027.
The success of this project means that soon, offshore wind will be able to compete with fossil fuels. The architectural designs ensure that it is best for countries containing deep coastal waters, such as South Korea, Japan, and the U.S. More and more companies understand that the biggest treasure in Europe is under the ocean, but this Windcatcher is a system that floats.
What strange effect can be noticed with the Windcatcher?
Although the Windcatcher remains central to ensuring clean electricity gets delivered, the Windcatcher will also lead to green hydrogen being produced. The main reason hydrogen is produced is due to the modular and scalable setup that ensures excess power gained at off-peak hours is diverted to hydrogen electrolysis. As such, this solution could have a positive impact on the transportation and industrial sectors, too.
Another exciting aspect is that researchers observed somewhat of a somewhat strange effect during the testing process. Due to the tight cluster of turbines, local wind patterns get disrupted in such a way that turbulence is prevented. Turbulence had always been a core challenge to traditional wind farms, whereby all upstream performance hinders the performance downstream.
The strange effect can lead to the Windcatcher operating without losing energy. This is one particular project that considers efficiency in terms of design and sticks with a design best suited to the mission that needs to be accomplished. Efficiency is perhaps ensured with 99 GWh of potential output, the production of green hydrogen, and the improved overall efficiency that ensures that the Windcatcher will be able to generate a cleaner energy future for all. Already, a monster taller than the Eiffel Tower was able to generate renewable energy, and now we can rely on energy generated by the Windcatcher.
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