Renewable

January 14 (Renewables Now) - Floatgen, the 2-MW floating wind turbine demonstrator off the coast of France, generated 6 GWh of power last year, thanks to better than expected production and availability in the six months to December.

The turbine, installed 22 km (13.7 miles) off the coast of Le Croisic at the SEM-REV test site of the Ecole Centrale de Nantes, achieved time availability in excess of 94.6% in the second half and an above-average capacity factor. As a result, power production more than doubled compared with the first six months of 2019.

The wind turbine was fully operational in its first winter months and its performance in winter weather conditions confirmed that the movements induced by the floater had no impact on power production.

This is the first operational wind turbine that uses the floating foundation concept developed by French firm Ideol. The company's patented technology is now fully proven and ready for commercial deployment.

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