X1 Wind’s PivotBuoy Project decorated with ‘Innovation Award’

On June 29th, 2023, X1 Wind secured the Innovation Award at the prestigious Premios Eolo 2023 for the PivotBuoy Project. Led by the Spanish Wind Energy Association (AEE), the ceremony was held at the Congreso Eólico Español in Madrid and attended by industry leaders, dignitaries, and politicians including Teresa Ribera, the 3rd Vice-president of Spain and Minister for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.

The voice of Spain’s wind sector, AEE, has more than 300 member companies representing more than 90% of the market. The Premios Eolo Awards established in 2008 recognizes contributions to promote and share the benefits which wind energy generates in society.

Its Innovation Award forms a central part of AEE and REOLTEC’s (Wind Energy Sector Technology Platform) action line, supporting innovation and development which drives international competition, market globalization, and cost optimization.

X1 Wind secured the accolade for its role, leading the ground-breaking PivotBuoy Project, whose floating platform (X30) became the world’s first fully functional TLP floating wind platform and Spain’s first floating wind prototype to export electricity via a subsea cable.

The project focused on demonstrating the innovative PivotBuoy mooring system configuration which combined the advantages of a SPM (single point mooring) with a small TLP (Tension-Leg Platform) mooring system. This allows the platform to reach deeper waters minimizing the footprint and impact on the seabed. Additional features of the platform include the lightweight and stable floater, which can be easily wet-towed by local vessels simplifying and accelerating the installation process.

X1 Wind Systems Engineering Manager, María Verges, who received the award, said the project not only validated a new structural and mooring configuration but also demonstrated its potential to significantly reduce costs within the floating wind industry.

“We’re thrilled to receive this recognition from AEE and REOLTEC on behalf of the entire X1 Wind team and the PivotBuoy Consortium, together with our extensive supply chain,” she said. “Thanks to the X1 Wind team for their commitment and dedication, which allowed the project to become a reality. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the European Commission and Spanish Government for their support. Together, we have delivered a landmark project for Spain’s floating wind sector, raising the bar and demonstrating the best of Spanish innovation and engineering capabilities. The data collected during the X30 prototype’s operation, including self-alignment, stability, and production, yielded excellent results. These findings have provided crucial insights and are now being incorporated into our ongoing commercial-scale projects.”

X1 Wind members receiving the Award included María Verges, Systems Engineering Manager, Adrián Oliva, Electrical Engineering Manager, and Jorge Casanovas, Offshore Construction Manager.

Supported by €4million from the European Commission H2020 Program, with a consortium coordinated by X1 Wind including leading companies EDP NEW, DNV, INTECSEA, ESM and DEGIMA and world-class research centres WavEC, DTU and PLOCAN, PivotBuoy aims to substantially reduce the current Levelized Cost Of Electricity (LCOE) of floating wind. Key advantages of the PivotBuoy system include a reduced floater weight, faster and cheaper installation processes and the ability to reach deeper waters with minimal seabed footprint thanks to the TLP mooring system.

X1 Wind is a disruptive floating wind technology developer. Based in Barcelona, Spain, the firm’s mission is to provide highly scalable solutions which deliver clean, affordable energy while reducing carbon emissions across the globe. The company’s unique floating wind concept was initially developed by Carlos Casanovas in 2012 while studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), before progressing with the patented technology for almost a decade. In recent years, X1 Wind has rapidly progressed its technology, having successfully executed several tank testing campaigns and completed the design, assembly, load-out, and decommissioning of a full-featured part-scale demonstrator in the Canary Islands. It has recently been selected by the European Commission to deliver the NextFloat project, an ambitious program accelerating industrial-scale floating wind together with Technip Energies and a consortium of 12 partners, to install the first commercial-scale pilot of this innovative technology in the South of France (read more). The company has steadily been building a world-class team of experts in the offshore wind industry and related sectors.