Floating offshore wind is surging as a pivotal player in the renewable energy landscape, and EnerOcean’s W2Power platform is at the forefront of this revolution. The company’s CEO, Pedro Mayorga, and Chief Commercial Officer, Alexander Fairtlough, recently discussed how their innovative design is reshaping the sector, driving cost efficiency, and enhancing energy security.
Floating offshore wind farms offer a unique advantage over conventional fixed-bottom structures by enabling energy generation in deeper waters. This opens up new opportunities for countries with limited shallow coastal areas and reduces congestion in existing offshore wind zones. By expanding the available development area, floating wind addresses critical challenges such as energy security, diversification, and minimising environmental impact.
Pedro Mayorga highlights the main drivers behind the growing importance of floating offshore wind. “Many countries have recognised the benefits of offshore wind, particularly in terms of energy security and supply stability,” he says. Floating offshore wind extends these advantages to regions that lack shallow waters or where the use of shallow waters is restricted due to tourism, environmental concerns, or other regulations. Even in countries with shallow waters, floating wind expands development opportunities by utilising a larger sea area, enabling the development of wind farms in sea areas out of reach of bottom-fixed turbines. Additionally, it allows for more dispersed installations, which is crucial given recent concerns about the underestimated wake effects of closely packed wind farms. These wake effects can impact the efficiency of adjacent farms, limiting clean energy production in already restricted spaces. By going floating, we can extend the development area and avoid interference with existing systems. This combination of expanding market opportunities and mitigating space limitations is what’s driving the push for floating offshore wind.
Another crucial factor is energy diversification. Many nations are looking to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and floating wind helps achieve this by tapping into stronger wind resources in deeper waters where fixed-bottom turbines cannot be installed. The ability to generate power further offshore also means less visual impact, addressing some of the resistance seen in coastal communities regarding onshore or nearshore wind projects.
The W2Power platform stands out with its innovative design, achieving the lowest steel weight per megawatt compared to other floating platforms. Alexander Fairtlough explains, “The key to our design is keeping the turbines light and low. As turbine sizes increase, the height of the installation also rises, which increases the overturning moment on the platform. However, with our two-turbine design, the turbines are lighter and positioned lower, keeping the system’s centre of gravity closer to the water’s surface – similar to how a sailboat maintains stability.” This design reduces the steel requirements for the platform, making it one of the most efficient in terms of steel weight per megawatt – potentially cutting the amount of steel needed by up to half compared to other solutions. The lower centre of gravity also simplifies installation, allowing assembly in standard shipyards and towing to the wind farm site, thereby reducing logistical costs and bottlenecks.
Maintenance and reliability are also critical factors. Pedro Mayorga notes, “Long-term operational costs (OPEX) are a major factor, particularly when it comes to major component replacement. Our self-aligning system reduces some of the most complex maintenance challenges, simplifying repairs and ultimately lowering costs. By designing for easier accessibility and modularity, we can ensure faster turnaround for major component replacements and repairs, making floating wind a more economically viable long-term solution.”
The cost structure of floating wind, including W2Power, differs significantly from traditional fixed-bottom offshore wind installations. Pedro Mayorga elaborates, “Fixed-bottom turbines have relatively low superstructure costs, but installation is extremely expensive. Deploying large components at sea requires mobilising barges and specialised vessels, making installation a significant cost driver. In contrast, we conduct most of our assembly in port, reducing the need for costly offshore installation operations. Our main cost component lies in the floating substructure, so we have focused heavily on optimising its design to maximise efficiency and minimise expenses. Additionally, floating wind technology avoids most of the seabed preparation costs and environmental disruption risks that come with fixed-bottom turbines. This reduces permitting complexity and environmental impact assessments, which can be significant barriers in some regions.”
Alexander Fairtlough adds, “One factor that often gets overlooked is decommissioning. Removing fixed-bottom structures – whether suction piles or jacket foundations – is a costly process. With floating platforms, it’s much simpler. You just detach the moorings, reel in the chains, and tow the platform back to shore for dismantling. This results in a significantly lower end-of-life cost and supports the circular economy by making it easier to repurpose or recycle components.”
The adaptability of W2Power to different marine environments and energy markets is another significant advantage. Alexander Fairtlough states, “It’s highly adaptable – more so than fixed-bottom wind, which depends on seabed conditions. Offshore floating wind platforms can be comfortably deployed
