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FLOTANT · Project

Cheaper Floating Wind Farms for Deep Ocean Sites Beyond 100 Meters

energyTestedTRL 5
flotantproject.eu

Wind turbines at sea produce great energy, but once the water gets deeper than about 60 meters, you can't bolt them to the seabed anymore — you need to float them, and that gets extremely expensive. FLOTANT built lighter mooring cables from carbon fibre polymers instead of heavy steel chains, a floater made from concrete and plastic instead of all-steel, and tougher power cables that last longer underwater. Think of it like replacing the anchor chain on a massive ship with a high-tech climbing rope that's just as strong but far lighter and cheaper to install.

By the numbers
60%
targeted CAPEX reduction by 2030
55%
targeted OPEX reduction by 2030
85-95 €/MWh
target LCOE by 2030
100-600m
target water depth range
10+ MW
wind turbine capacity supported
100 tons
mooring cable strength (large prototype)
72.5 kV
dynamic cable connector prototype voltage
17
consortium partners
9
countries represented
The business problem

What needed solving

Offshore wind is moving into deeper waters where conventional fixed-bottom turbines cannot be installed. Current floating wind technology for depths beyond 100 meters relies on heavy steel moorings and expensive cable systems, making the energy cost too high to compete. Developers need lighter, cheaper, and more durable floating solutions to unlock vast deep-water wind resources across Europe.

The solution

What was built

The project produced physical prototypes: polymer carbon fibre mooring cables at 20-ton and 100-ton strength with embedded monitoring sensors, a 72.5 kV dynamic submarine cable with braided armouring and matching connector prototype, and a scaled model of a hybrid concrete-plastic floating platform tested in wave basin and real sea conditions.

Audience

Who needs this

Floating offshore wind farm developers targeting deep-water sitesSubsea cable and mooring system manufacturersOffshore wind O&M service providersMarine renewable energy investors evaluating deep-water projectsPort authorities and installation vessel operators serving floating wind
Business applications

Who can put this to work

Offshore Wind Energy Development
enterprise
Target: Floating wind farm developers and operators

If you are a wind energy developer planning deep-water sites beyond 100 meters — this project developed polymer carbon fibre mooring cables and a hybrid concrete-plastic floater designed to cut capital costs by 60% and operating costs by 55% by 2030. The mooring system uses Active Heave Compensation to keep the platform stable, and embedded sensors let you monitor cable stress in real time instead of sending divers down.

Subsea Cable Manufacturing
mid-size
Target: Dynamic cable and connector manufacturers

If you are a subsea cable manufacturer looking for next-generation products — this project produced a 72.5 kV dynamic cable prototype with braided outer armouring and a matching connector prototype, both validated for deep-water floating wind applications. These components target the 100-600 meter depth range where current cable solutions struggle with fatigue and weight, opening a growing market segment as floating wind scales up.

Marine Operations & Maintenance
mid-size
Target: Offshore O&M service providers

If you are an offshore maintenance company dealing with costly interventions at deep-water wind sites — this project developed enhanced O&M strategies with embedded sensors for continuous stress and strain monitoring of mooring cables. Instead of scheduled inspections requiring expensive vessel time, the system flags problems in real time, letting you shift from calendar-based to condition-based maintenance for sites at 100-600 meter depths.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

How much could this technology reduce project costs?

The project targets a 60% reduction in capital expenditure (CAPEX) and 55% reduction in operating expenditure (OPEX) by 2030 for deep-water floating wind installations. The overall solution aims to bring the levelized cost of energy down to 85-95 €/MWh by 2030.

Has any of this been tested at industrial scale?

Prototypes were tested at three facilities: MARIN wave basin for controlled performance testing, the Dynamic Marine Component Test facility (DMaC) at University of Exeter for large-scale prototype tests, and PLOCAN Marine Test Site in the Canary Islands for real seawater conditions. Mooring cables were produced at 20-ton and 100-ton strength ratings, and a 72.5 kV connector prototype was manufactured and tested.

What about intellectual property and licensing?

The project involved 17 partners across 9 countries, with 11 industry partners including 7 SMEs. IP is likely distributed among consortium members. Based on available project data, companies interested in licensing specific components (mooring cables, dynamic cables, floater design) would need to contact individual technology owners within the consortium.

What depth range does this work for?

FLOTANT was specifically optimized for deep-water sites between 100 and 600 meters, designed to support wind turbines of 10 MW and above. This fills a gap where conventional bottom-fixed foundations are not feasible and current floating solutions are prohibitively expensive.

How mature is the mooring cable technology?

Polymer carbon fibre mooring cables were produced at two strength levels — 20-ton and 100-ton — with embedded sensors for continuous stress and strain monitoring. The cables were tested for fatigue, twisting, and torque load performance at DMaC, and for biofouling and anti-bite properties in real sea conditions at PLOCAN.

Is this ready for commercial deployment?

Based on available project data, the technology has been validated through prototype testing in relevant environments but has not yet been deployed in a full-scale commercial floating wind farm. The project was a Research and Innovation Action (RIA), which typically targets technology readiness levels 4-6.

What turbine sizes does the platform support?

The hybrid concrete-plastic floating platform was designed to sustain wind turbines of 10 MW and above. A reduced-scale model was designed, constructed, and tested in wave basin conditions at MARIN to validate global performance.

Consortium

Who built it

FLOTANT brings together 17 partners from 9 countries, with a strong industrial lean — 11 out of 17 partners are from industry, and 7 are SMEs, giving a 65% industry ratio. This signals real commercial intent rather than a purely academic exercise. The coordinator is PLOCAN (Plataforma Oceánica de Canarias), a Spanish ocean test site operator, which gave the project access to real deep-water testing infrastructure. The geographic spread across Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Ireland, Netherlands, Slovenia, and the UK covers major European offshore wind markets and manufacturing hubs.

How to reach the team

PLOCAN (Plataforma Oceánica de Canarias), Spain — a public ocean test facility in the Canary Islands

Order a report on this consortiumSee CONSORCIO PARA EL DISENO, CONSTRUCCION, EQUIPAMIENTO Y EXPLOTACION DE LA PLATAFORMA OCEANICA DE CANARIAS profile →
Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore licensing FLOTANT's deep-water mooring or cable technology for your projects? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the right consortium partner.

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