Iberdrola, via its engineering and construction subsidiary, has teamed up with the Scottish University of Strathclyde and Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult to start work on the TLPWIND project, an offshore wind research and development (R&D) initiative with a budget allocation in excess of EUR 1 million.
Supported by Innovate UK, the initiative aims to promote the installation of offshore wind farms in areas of the U.K. where it is not currently feasible because of water depth. The project will entail designing a floating wind turbine model and an innovative system for installation, to be implemented on a subsequent basis at a number of sites chosen in advance, where water depth ranges between 60 and 100 meters.
The foundations, to be designed by Iberdrola, will be moored to the seabed using tensioned cables, which will, in turn, help restrict the movement of the platform on which the offshore wind turbine will be placed. The dimensions and weight of the steel used in these platforms will be optimized to the maximum, thereby bringing down construction costs, Iberdrola adds.
The company says this initiative builds on its commitment to offshore wind energy, a sector in which Iberdrola is developing major projects to build new facilities (mostly in the U.K., Germany and France) and working on enhancing its technology by carrying out R&D studies.
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