Forward-looking: A new type of renewable energy facility could one day be providing power by using a massive wall of small wind turbines. A Norwegian company has been given certification for the design, which is essentially a floating wind farm.
Wind Catching Systems (WCS), based just outside of Norway's capital, Oslo, has been developing its Windcatcher system, which it describes as a "floating wind power plant based on a multi-turbine design."
CEO Ole Heggheim said the large model of the Windcatcher would reach a height of 984 feet and stretch 1,148 feet wide. This version of the floating facility would use 126 one-megawatt turbines.
In a recent LinkedIn post, the company writes that it has now been awarded an Approval of Principle (AiP) from the global classification agency DNV. Heggheim said this is an important milestone toward the construction of its first commercial demonstrator unit. He added that the 40 MW model that achieved the AiP will be the first out of four expected units in the project.
The small turbines can catch 2.5 times more energy per square meter of wind flow than a standard three-blade turbine design, writes Interesting Engineering. Each unit connects to a central substation that transmits electricity to the grid. It reportedly has the potential to produce green hydrogen, too.
WCS is creating a prototype of the Windcatcher design with help from a $900,000 investment from Norway's Enova fund – owned by the country's Ministry of Climate and Environment – that was handed over in February 2023. In June 2022, the company said it entered into a strategic agreement with automotive giant General Motors and has secured investment from GM Ventures.
The Windcatcher system aims to reduce the cost of floating wind power to €40 - 60 ($43 -$65) per MWh. Heggheim said a large structure behind the turbines should be a visual indicator for birds and that there are opportunities to incorporate detection and deterrence systems on the structure.
Using a floating design instead of a fixed-bottom one means that the system can be installed in much deeper waters. Recently, it was reported that China's massive floating dual-rotor wind turbine can generate power in waters up to around 300 feet deep and 62 miles from shore.
Giant floating wall of wind turbines moves a step closer to reality
