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TouchWind has installed its floating wind turbine prototype at Fieldlab Green Economy Westvoorne in the Netherlands, moving the POWER project into its in-water field testing phase.
The installation marks the next step in a demonstration programme focused on tilted rotor technology and its potential to reduce wake losses in offshore wind farms. The POWER project, short for POsitive Wake Effects of turbines with tilted Rotors, is studying whether angled rotors can deflect wakes and draw stronger wind from higher air layers.
For offshore wind developers, the question is practical: can turbines be placed closer together without cutting into each other’s output? If the answer is yes, future floating wind farms could generate more power from the same sea area.
Prototype enters the water
The floating turbine is moored with steel and polyester lines connected to concrete deadweight anchors. Those anchors are fitted with 3D printed reef structures developed by Coastruction, intended to support ecology in the lake.
Load shackles have been installed in the mooring lines to measure the forces acting on the system during operation. That data will be important as the project team studies not only turbine performance, but also platform movement and mooring behaviour under real conditions.
A floating meteorological mast, installed at the site in April 2025, is also part of the test setup. It uses a similar mooring configuration, although it is not equipped with load shackles because the expected loads on that platform are limited.
Installation partners support mooring work
The installation was coordinated by TouchWind and Duc Marine. Peinemann provided crane services and lifted the turbine into the water. During the mooring operation, MARIN supported the work by monitoring load shackle data so the mooring lines could be tensioned correctly.
That type of detail matters in floating wind. A floating turbine is not simply placed in the water like a buoy. It must be held in position, allowed to move within design limits, and monitored closely as wind, water and mooring forces interact.
Fieldlab Green Economy Westvoorne provided the test location. The facility supports the testing and demonstration of sustainable technologies and has become a useful proving ground for floating energy systems.
Testing to run through 2026
The POWER project will collect operational data throughout 2026. The programme will examine turbine performance, platform behaviour and mooring loads.
The project also includes onshore wake interaction studies at the fieldlab, using nine TouchWind turbines positioned near shore. Together with the floating test campaign, this gives the consortium a combined view of rotor behaviour, wake effects and floating platform response.
The tilted rotor concept is designed to push wake flows away from turbines positioned downwind. In simple terms, it tries to prevent one turbine from sitting in the disturbed air left behind by another. The concept also seeks to use stronger wind available in higher air layers.
Consortium targets higher wind farm density
The POWER project is being carried out by a consortium consisting of TouchWind, MOL, TNO, MARIN, Nidec and We4Ce. The project receives funding from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, RVO.
For the maritime and offshore supply chain, the project is relevant beyond the turbine itself. Floating wind will require installation vessels, cranes, anchors, mooring systems, marine contractors, port support and monitoring services. Even a prototype in a lake gives the industry a clearer view of what future floating wind deployment may demand.
The test campaign now shifts from installation to measurement. Over the coming months, the consortium will be looking for evidence that the tilted rotor can support higher power density while keeping floating platform and mooring loads within workable limits.
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