Photo Credit: X1 WIND
Technology
The project will develop and validate the PivotBuoy®, a novel system developed by X1 WIND integrating the mooring and anchoring system and the electric cable in a single point (single point mooring – SPM), allowing faster connection of floating platforms.
By using a single point mooring (SPM), the PivotBuoy system allows floating platforms to align itself passively with the wind (as shown in this illustrative video ), eliminating the need for an active yaw actuator and any active ballast systems, reducing weight and the maintenance requirements in those systems. Moreover, one of the key innovations of the PivotBuoy is the combination of the advantages of SPM with a tension-leg mooring, enabling further weight reduction compared to systems using catenary moorings which require large weight or ballast to guarantee the platform stability.