France’s first floating wind turbine, Floatgen, has been delivering strong performance results with a capacity factor of nearly 60% over the last three months. This is a major milestone for the 5-year-old demonstrator, showing its continued reliability and efficiency in delivering clean energy.
The 2 MW demonstrator, owned and operated by BW Ideol has been operating off the coast of Le Croisic in Western France since 2018. Despite harsh weather conditions, including wind speeds up to 134 km/h and significant wave heights of up to 10.5 meters, Floatgen has produced 25 GWh of electricity for approximately 3,000 households.
The turbine’s reliable performance highlights the benefits of floating wind technology and its ability to capture wind resources without depth constraints. This technology has the potential to greatly contribute to a more resilient energy supply, especially in areas with limited land access.
Floatgen also serves as a full-scale research and development platform for the floating offshore wind industry. It generates valuable operational data and enables BW Ideol’s teams to develop hands-on expertise and a track record in the maintenance and operation of floating offshore wind turbines. This unique asset also qualifies new components and methods and performs environmental impact studies, allowing for further advancements in the floating wind industry.
BW Ideol’s CEO, Paul de la Guérivière, stated that the repeated performance, high availability, and high capacity factor underline the benefits of floating wind and its ability to capture the best possible wind resources. The strong operational results from Floatgen demonstrate the viability of floating wind technology and its potential to play a significant role in the transition to a clean energy future.
BW Ideol’s press release: Floatgen achieves continuous capacity factor of nearly 60%
