Il Wind Catching Systems (WCS) Norwegian made a spectacular debut with colossal floating wind turbines.
They can generate five times the annual energy of the world's largest wind turbines, cutting costs enough to make the energy produced competitive on the market.
Wind turbines? No. Marine juggs.
Standing over 1.000 feet (324 m) tall, these giant Windcatcher wind turbines are basically grids that “house” many smaller blades.
In the renderings provided by the company I count no fewer than 117. The wind turbines are positioned in a staggered formation atop a floating platform anchored to the ocean floor (using methods, ironically, consolidated by the gas and petrolium).
Just one of these wind turbines, states WCS, could offer double the area exploited by the largest conventional wind turbines in the world (the 236 MW Vestas V15).
Smaller rotors can perform much better even in wind speeds between 40 and 43 km/h (27 mph). The overall effect, WCS says, is a 500% increase in annual energy production.
Five hundred percent.
Yes sir. Each wind turbine array produces enough energy to run 80.000 homes.
Modular wind turbines
Instead of using huge single components, these Windcatchers are built with smaller pieces that are much easier to work with. Once the floating base is installed, most of the components can be handled without cranes or specialized boats, and the grid design allows for easy access for ongoing maintenance.
WCS states that these implants are ready for a useful life of 50 years, compared to 30 years for a single large turbine.
You convinced me. When do we start?
The company says it is ready to start supplying offshore wind power in its debut at the same cost as grid power.
In Norway currently the average is around 86 euros ($ 105) per megawatt hour. For their debut in 2026, the price could even be around 80 euros (and under 100 dollars).
Sure, these wind turbines will still be relatively expensive compared to onshore wind and solar, but they will certainly be cheaper than offshore wind.
