Float Foundation – A smarter way to build offshore wind: No offshore lifting required
Offshore wind is growing fast. But traditional installation methods are hitting their limits, both technically and commercially. At Elomatic, we’ve drawn from decades of marine and offshore engineering expertise to develop a better way: the Float Foundation.
It’s a practical, low-emission solution designed for today’s demands – and tomorrow’s.
- Water depths range: 3–45m
- Soft, semisoft and dense seabed
- Suitable for ice conditions
- Recyclable steel structure: high density – less submerged weight loss than concrete, corrosion protected
- Reusable installation barges
- Proven technology (GBS) with skirt
We have completely revolutionized the way offshore wind farms are constructed by eliminating the need for special windfarm installation vessels (WIVs). For Baltic Sea operations, this means that you no longer need to check which vessels can pass between Denmark and Sweden.
Float Foundation is a unique foundation solution that increases safety by enabling the assembly of the wind turbine onshore in the drydock or floating at the quayside. Tugboats are only required during towing to the location and positioning when lowered to the seabed.
Benefits
- No offshore lifts: increased safety, lower costs, eliminates risk of future global shortage of windfarm installation vessels (WIVs)
- No need for the Jones Act-qualified WIVs in US offshore
- Enables access to ultra-shallow waters (3–9m), typical installation water depth 10–45m
- Scalable to future wind turbine sizes, current design for 15MW
- Environmentally friendly: no hammering noise, removable after lifetime, can be recycled
- Quick and cost effective: fabrication-friendly design, various vendors can be used for prefabrication, high local content
- Penetration of the skirts into the seabed improves foundation stability against moments and forces generated by wind, waves, ice and currents
- Mobilization costs are lower and enable smaller projects
- Reduced costs in waiting for suitable weather conditions
- Easier to install on the seabed
- Skirt secures the Float Foundation for scour with a 3m penetration into the seabed
If you are interested in a case study for your wind farm location, please contact us and we will evaluate if our solution is fit for your purpose.
