NextFloat+ project, being developed by X1 Wind, Technip Energies and NextFloat Plus, has received a multi-million-dollar grant from the European Commission’s Innovation Fund to accelerate deployment of X1 Wind’s 6 MW pre-commercial floating wind platform.
The pan-European project aims to accelerate the roll out of the next generation of floating wind technology by boosting competitiveness and scalability.
Led by a consortium formed by X1 Wind, as project coordinator, alongside Technip Energies and NextFloat Plus, it will involve the deployment of a 6MW floating wind platform at a test site in the Mediterranean Sea.
The pre-commercial prototype, called ‘X90’, will demonstrate a cost-effective integrated system composed of a structurally efficient and lightweight floating platform with a SPM (Single Point Mooring) and a TLP (Tension Leg Platform), greatly reducing the seabed footprint impact.
The cash injection from the European Union, in the amount of $14.4 million (€13.4 million) will further advance industrialization and scale-up of the integrated floating wind solution at over 20 MW scale.
The announcement follows the Statement of Feasibility and a Statement of Compliance issued for the X90 platform by independent certification specialist DNV.
“The grant represents a cornerstone in the fundraising for the NextFloat+ Project, adding to finance already secured through the European Commission under the Horizon Europe program, finance secured through the French Government as part of the France 2030 plan operated by ADEME, plus private funding from partners and shareholders.
“Crucially, it will provide an opportunity to drive substantial improvements in the competitiveness of floating wind as we prepare for long-term mass deployment in locations around the world,” said Alex Raventos, X1 Wind’s CEO and co-founder.
The NextFloat+ Project will build on the findings of the PivotBuoy Project, which proved X1 Wind’s innovative technology by successfully deploying a part-scale prototype in the Canary Islands.
In particular, it will introduce additional innovations to reduce the LCOE of floating wind and its environmental impact, namely the patented quick-connector system and the installation of a bio-boosting system applied on the floater.