DeepWindDemo is an exciting Irish project that focuses on the development and deployment of a floating wind energy system, consisting of a floating platform with dual vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs), for the Irish & European marketplace. The proposed system will provide a more efficient and sustainable solution for exploiting our offshore wind resource in deep waters, helping to contribute electricity from clean renewable sources to the European grid. The activities within this project align well with the Climate Action Plan 2019 – Action 26, the EU 2030 Climate and Energy Framework and the Programme for Government which aims to put Ireland at the cutting edge of scientific and technological innovation in meeting our climate action goals. Marine Materials Ireland is leading this important project, in collaboration with ÉireComposites and University of Galway.

ÉireComposites plays the important role of manufacturing the composite wind blades, as well as supporting the design process for the wind blades.

This project is funded by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, through the SEAI and RD&D Funding Programme.

Project Objectives:

• To design two highly efficient vertical axis wind turbines, suitable for installation on a floating platform, using Blade Element Momentum Theory (BEMT) and CFD models.
• To further optimise the floating semisubmersible platform both structurally and hydrodynamically to support two turbines, using CFD and FEA analysis.
• To manufacture six helical VAWT blades from composites, and also the floating support structure from steel.
• To accelerate the development and deployment of Irish technologies to the Irish marketplace of floating offshore wind and related activities.
• To de-risk the design through structural testing of one of the wind turbine blades. The data from this testing will act as further proof of Ireland’s national capacity to access, develop and apply international-class RD&D.
• To perform operational trials of the floating support structure with the two turbines. Doing so will support Irish solutions that enable technical barriers to market uptake to be overcome.

Successful completion of the project will advance the technology towards a commercial product and enable SEAI to provide greater guidance and support to policymakers and public bodies on floating wind energy through results, outcomes and learning from the DeepWindDemo project.