X1 Wind, together with UPC and GEMIGEO, was awarded the “SAFE AND OPTIMISED ANCHORS IN MOORING SYSTEMS FOR TLP FLOATING OFFSHORE WIND TURBINES – Next TLP” project by the Spanish State Research Agency, under the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities of Spain. This project marks an important step forward in advancing anchor design technology for Tension-Leg Platform (TLP) supported floating offshore wind turbines (FOWT).
Through a combination of large-scale demonstrations, anchor load monitoring, and offshore site investigations, we will develop simplified pre-dimensioning methods and a fast-track geotechnical investigation framework tailored to these systems. By integrating measured and simulated data, the project will deliver open-access databases, advanced simulation tools, and validated methodologies to optimize anchor performance under both ultimate loads and fatigue.
The Next TLP project focuses on optimising anchor design for floating offshore wind platforms based on Tension-Leg Platform (TLP) mooring systems. By gaining a better understanding of how anchors perform in real offshore conditions, the project supports safer, more efficient, and more reliable floating wind solutions.
The project addresses several key areas essential for the development of floating offshore wind:
- Understanding the forces that floating wind platforms apply to their anchors
- Analyzing real-world data from large-scale offshore demonstration projects
- Assessing how different seabed conditions influence anchor performance
- Developing practical and simplified approaches for anchor sizing and design
In parallel, Next TLP works on improving offshore investigation methods specifically adapted to floating wind needs:
- Advancing seabed investigation techniques tailored to TLP floating platforms
- Creating faster and more standardized approaches to assess seabed conditions at new sites
The project will deliver tools, data, and methodologies that can be directly applied by the industry:
- Reliable data on anchor loads across different platform sizes and environmental conditions
- Measured offshore data from ongoing floating wind demonstration projects
- An digital simulation tool to support anchor design and performance assessment
- Improved models showing anchor behavior under varying seabed conditions
- New and tested equipment to measure seabed properties directly offshore
- Expanded geotechnical data from Spanish offshore sites relevant to floating wind development
- Proven methodologies to enable faster and more accurate site assessments for TLP mooring systems
Overall, the Next TLP project marks a significant leap in delivering safer, more efficient, and cost-effective anchoring solutions for the next generation of TLP floating offshore wind platforms, including X1 Wind’s innovative PivotBuoy technology.
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The “SAFE AND OPTIMISED ANCHORS IN MOORING SYSTEMS FOR TLP FLOATING OFFSHORE WIND TURBINES – Next TLP” project is funded by the Spanish State Research Agency and the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of Spain.
