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Reducing the costs associated with the mooring system
Following the development of demonstrators and the deployment of small pilot farms, the next step for floating wind power will be commercial farms, operating between 20 and 100 turbines; this raises questions about the mooring systems to be used for such projects. In a wind farm comprising 100 turbines, shared anchors could significantly reduce the cost of the mooring system. Furthermore, there is potential to reduce the levelised cost of energy (LCOE), as, in addition to the supply of suitable anchors and lines, installation, in-service monitoring and maintenance must also be taken into account.
Assessing the potential of shared anchors
In this context, the MUTANC R&D project (2021–2024) investigated the potential of shared anchors to reduce the LCOE of floating offshore wind farms across a range of configurations representative of future deployments. Numerical work formed a significant part of the study, involving the analysis of loads from the float on the shared anchors and geotechnical modelling. This work was supplemented by centrifuge tests on small-scale models to study the behaviour of the mooring system under multidirectional and cyclic loads: a first in Europe.
Webinar resources
A final webinar presenting the project’s key findings was held on 4 February 2025. Most of the presentations given are now available.