The WHEEL Project has been selected by the European Commission to build a full-scale prototype of ESTEYCO’s breakthrough technology for floating wind. This will allow us to prove its competitiveness and the many advantages that this solution provides to achieve the European goal of leading the development of wind energy worldwide.
The WHEEL Technology (Wind Hybrid Esteyco Evolution for Low-carbon solutions) provides an efficient solution to today’s big challenges of the wind energy market which are mainly how to create competitive floater industrialization strategies avoiding supply chain bottlenecks.
It consists of a spar floating platform, or better said, an evolved spar floating platform providing multiple advantages such as floater size reduction, low draft at harbour as well as reduction of material usage and carbon footprint.
ESTEYCO leads an international consortium including world-leading companies in the sector such as 2-BENERGY, BOSKALIS, ROVER MARITIME, TENERIFE SHIPYARDS, BRIDON-BEKAERT, VICINAY, PLOCAN, FIHAC, CEMEX and EnBW. Thanks to the support of the European Commission, our ambitious goal is to install the 6MW 2-bladed downwind turbine on the WHEEL floater in 2025. It will be in operation in the Canarian coast as the spearhead of the desirable and needed development of wind energy in Spain.
It is the second time that the European Commission trusts Esteyco to boost the offshore wind energy in its strategy to decarbonise Europe by 2050. On the first occasion, the ELICAN project allowed us to prove our ELICAN technology with the installation of the world’s first bottom-fixed wind turbine with no need for scarce and expensive heavy-lift vessels. As of today, it remains the one and only in operation in Spain. We do accept this new challenge.