Energy Transition

Flagship Chinese floating wind design moves toward market with DNV stamp of approval

Innovative semisub platform piloted at China Three Gorges' Yangxi West Shapa wind farm last year awarded verification for 'technical feasibility and commercial readiness'

MingYang turbine-topped Wison floating wind unit en route to its maiden installation off China last year
MingYang turbine-topped Wison floating wind unit en route to its maiden installation off China last yearFoto: MYSE

The pioneering floating wind platform concept use for China’s first installation of the emerging technology has received a key certification stamp of approval on its way toward full mass manufacture for the market.

Shangai-based contractor Wison’s so-called w.semi, a prototype of which was mated to a MingYang Smart Energy turbine for the country’s maiden floating project last year, has been awarded its verification letter by DNV, for “technical feasibility and commercial readiness”.

“Since we successfully delivered China’s first floating wind platform in summer 2021, Wison has accelerated the development of offshore wind technology,” said Weimin Chen, director of Wison’s wind technology business unit.

“Securing certification is the key aspect of our technology development, and we are very pleased to reach this important milestone.

“Our goal is to build the floaters in China for Europe and the North American markets. We are continuously refining our design of w.semi with many of the supporting technologies,” added Chen.

DNV executive vice president for renewables certification Kim Sangaard-Mørk stated: “DNV has been working with WOM to advance the w.semi technology since 2020,” adding that “mitigating risks via certification is particularly valuable for floating wind projects in securing project finance and demonstrating operational application”.

Last year, a first w.semi, a steel semisubersible engineered for waters 50 metres and deeper, was fitted with a typhoon-proof MySE5.5MW turbine and installed at developer China Three Gorges’ Yangxi West Shapa phase 3, a 400MW project being built around monopile-based machines off Yangjiang, in south-east Guangdong province.
DNV forecasts floating wind projects to make up over 15% of the total offshore wind deployment in the pipeline for switch-on by mid-century, some 264GW to the 1,748GW installed – more than half of which will be turning off Asia.
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Published 27 April 2022, 11:36Updated 27 April 2022, 11:36
China Three GorgesChinaMing Yang Smart EnergyDNVWison