The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has approved in principle the Bassoe D-Floater, a floating offshore wind turbine foundation.
It is said that the Bassoe D-Floater foundations will be able to handle 15 megawatt offshore turbines, which will be among the world's largest. Apart from prototypes being tested onshore, there are no 15 MW turbines installed offshore as of yet. They can be as tall as the Eiffel Tower and can weigh upwards of 2,000 tons.
What is more, according to the press statement announcing the ABS AiP, Bassoe D-Floater foundation will be able to carry these giant turbines in "some of the harshest environmental conditions."
The D-Floater is a three column, semi-submersible unit with a Delta-shaped pontoon configuration that allows the stacking of foundations inside each other, facilitating transport of at least five completed foundations on a single, heavy lift transport vessel, and efficient storage in the marshalling port.
ith a tow-out draft of less than 10 meters with the turbine installed, the design is intended to allow flexibility in “assembly port” selection and to allow quayside installation of the tower and turbine closer to the wind farm, in many cases, ABS said,
Tore Ulleland, Managing Director, Bassoe Technology, said: “The D-Floater is a floating foundation designed for cost efficient fabrication and logistical solutions to meet the growing demand for renewable energy. Together with our parent company, CIMC Raffles, we will have the ability to deliver more than 50 D-Floaters per year. The D-Floater’s global supply capability complements our T-Floater that allows for local fabrication, and both concepts now have approval in principle from ABS."