[MISTRAL] OPEN-C Foundation is part of the AFLOWT project for the acceleration of floating offshore wind

The EU ratified a target of 27% of renewable energy by 2030, in association with a target of 40% carbon reduction.  NWE needs to decarbonise its energy system.  Wind energy is currently the most mature & cost-effective means of renewable energy generation, however land space and access to shallow offshore site (less than 50m water depth) are limited; space for future deployments is a major issue for further increasing wind generation capacity.

Widespread market uptake of wind energy in deep water sites requires 4 elements:

• Demonstration of high survivability cost competitive Floating Offshore Wind (FOW) technology
• Raise awareness with and provide confidence to investors and project developers regarding technology investability
• Creation of supportive policy environment
• Develop an active supply chain

The AFLOWT project will take a number of steps to address these issues and contribute to the development of floating wind turbines in Europe.

OPEN-C Foundation role:
OPEN-C Foundation is the French national test centre for floating wind and marine renewable energy (MRE) which brings together resources & infrastructures for offshore demonstration. Over the next few years, the OPEN-C Foundation will carry out several major innovations, including the testing of second-generation floating wind turbine prototypes.

The Mistral test site in the Mediterranean Sea (off the coast of Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône) has been managed by Valeco since 2019 and is now one of the five test sites operated by the OPEN-C Foundation. This site, currently under construction, is located 5km from the coast and is authorised for two floating wind turbines.

In 2023, thanks to the AFLOWT project, the site construction studies have been completed:

• installation of instrumentation,
• environmental monitoring
• monitoring metocean conditions
• grid connection studies
• user consultation etc.

This test site will boost the commercial development of the floating wind industry in Europe by providing space for real scale demonstration. In the long term, the MISTRAL site will contribute to the carbon emission reduction targets set by Europe.