Wind Energy Ireland has welcomed a pivotal floating offshore wind (FLOW) research project which is designed to support the FLOW sector.

Announced by the Atlantic Technological University (ATU), the project has been supported with financial contribution from Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland under the SEAI Research, Development & Demonstration Funding Programme 2023, Grant number 23/RDD/938.

This project aligns with the programme's overall objective of funding innovative research to contribute to Ireland's transition to a clean and secure energy future.

The Anchor and Mooring Selection for Floating Offshore Wind (AMS-FLOW) project, lead by the Contract Research Unit (CRU) at ATU Sligo, spans three years. It aims to deliver a comprehensive set of technical and financial outputs tailored for the FLOW sector. Collaborating in this project are University College Cork (UCC), Wind Energy Ireland (WEI), Exceedence Ltd, and Dublin Offshore Technology (DOT) Ltd.

Ireland has an abundant wind resource, with some of the world's highest wind speeds. However, extreme environmental conditions, including waves exceeding 30 meters on the west coast, create challenges for Floating Offshore Wind (FLOW) technology. The success of FLOW in Ireland hinges on both the appropriateness of technology and its cost-effectiveness. While turbine and floating structure technologies are well-developed, mooring and anchoring systems show greater variability.

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The AMS-FLOW project aims to improve the Irish floating offshore wind industry by introducing a novel metocean analysis method, innovative mooring configurations, high-quality anchor performance data, economic modelling and an early-stage anchoring and mooring selection toolkit. The anticipated outcomes will enhance confidence among developers and investors.

Dr. John Bartlett, the Project Lead, expressed ATU's enthusiasm for the AMS-FLOW project, he said: "This project synergizes with other ATU initiatives in Offshore Marine Renewables (ORE), such as the T-Shore project. We are dedicated to advancing FLOW technology in Ireland and look forward to collaborating with our partners on this project which is being funded by SEAI through the Government of Ireland."

Ken Russell, the Project Manager, said: "ATU is pleased to lead this ambitious research project, which brings together talent from academia and industry to produce a suite of evidence-based techno-economic data that the industry, benefitting indigenous supply chain, developers and policy makers."

Primary project activities include anchor performance analysis at ATU Sligo, involving both physical and numerical testing, innovative characterisation of metocean conditions at UCC, mooring arrangements, materials and load reduction studies carried out by DOT, and the creation of a specialised techno-financial tool by Exceedence Ltd in Cork. Wind Energy Ireland (WEI) will oversee communication and dissemination endeavours.

Focused on areas most likely for FLOW development, this project, in collaboration with partners from Irish third-level institutions and SMEs, will offer internationally significant targeted solutions, thereby strengthening Ireland's national research capacity.

To address technical challenges, AMS-FLOW has put forward improvements to existing metocean characterisation methodologies to ensure greater understanding of design conditions. Conventional station-keeping systems present technical and commercial challenges, necessitating innovative mooring and anchoring solutions. The project will produce evidence-based solutions, promoting the use of synthetic mooring lines (moving away from the heavy reliance on steel chains) offering Irish net manufacturing companies an opportunity to meet future demand and create local employment opportunities.