TouchWind’s tilting one-piece rotor floating wind turbine is designed to handle high wind speeds (source: TouchWind)
Floating wind technology developer TouchWind and Japanese shipping company Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) have signed an memorandum of understanding for joint development of TouchWind’s one-piece rotor floating wind turbine
MOL is expanding its offshore wind business and said it foresees great opportunities for the cost-competitive floating wind concept developed by the Dutch company. MOL’s wholly owned London-based subsidiary MOL (Europe Africa) Ltd will play a key role in co-operating with TouchWind.
The move follows MOL’s April 2022 announcement that it is to collaborate with Seawind, the developer of a two-bladed floating offshore wind turbine, and JGC Japan Corp.
MOL general manager wind power projects Masayuki Sugiyama said, “The unique TouchWind concept has high potential and can reduce wind turbine costs thanks to its innovative design. Collaboration with TouchWind will bring opportunities to MOL to develop efficient and competitive floating offshore windfarms.”
TouchWind founder and chief executive Rikus van de Klippe said, “Co-operation with MOL will enable us to roll-out our one-piece rotor floating wind turbine more quickly. I look forward to working with MOL to further increase efficiency and reduce costs, especially operation and maintenance costs.”
TouchWind’s said its tilting one-piece rotor floating wind turbine can handle wind speeds of up to 70 m/s and allows for more compact floating windfarms.
“This leads to an enormous increase of the energy potential for offshore wind,” said the company, “and maintenance can be carried out more quickly and safely in harsh weather conditions.”
The Offshore Wind Journal Conference will be held 14 June 2022. Details and tickets can be found here
