TechnipFMC and Bombora to Develop a Floating Wave and Wind Power Project
TechnipFMC, a global leader in the energy industry, and Bombora, a leading wave energy technology company, have formed a strategic partnership to develop a floating wave and wind power project in support of a more sustainable future.
The relationship brings together TechnipFMC’s unique technologies and experience delivering complex integrated Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation (iEPCI™) projects offshore with Bombora’s patented multi-megawatt mWave™ technology that converts wave energy into electricity.
The partnership will initially focus on TechnipFMC and Bombora’s InSPIRE project. With engineering work initiated in November 2020, the partnership is developing a hybrid system utilizing Bombora’s mWave™ technology. The hybrid system demonstrator will deliver 6 megawatts of combined floating wind and wave power, followed by Series 1 and Series 2 commercial platforms which are expected to deliver 12 and 18 megawatts, respectively.
“Our core competencies and integration capabilities make us an ideal system architect and partner in developing renewable energy solutions alongside Bombora’s experience and unique, patented mWave™ technology. We are delighted to work on a project that advances our commitment to the environment while contributing toward a more sustainable future,” Jonathan Landes, President Subsea at TechnipFMC, commented.
“Bombora is collaborating with TechnipFMC to accelerate development of our floating integrated mWaveTM platform solutions for commercial wind farms. With TechnipFMC’s extensive track record of delivering large-scale projects to the energy sector and Bombora’s innovative mWaveTM technology, we are confident InSPIRE will play a key role in the offshore energy sector,” Sam Leighton, Bombora’s Managing Director, said.
Floating Offshore Wind + Wave
The emerging Floating Offshore Wind market is about to set sail, projected to contribute 400GW of renewable energy globally by 2050.
Until now, efforts to reduce the Levelised Cost of Energy (LCOE) of Floating Offshore Wind has predominantly focused on increasing turbine rotor diameters. InSPIRE responds to the LCOE challenge with a new solution, a cost competitive innovation that can deliver more renewable power at a lower cost to facilitate a faster journey to net zero and a prosperous blue economy.
About InSPIRE
The InSPIRE project, led by TechnipFMC and Bombora, marries a wealth of experience in marine offshore engineering with the worlds’ largest capacity wave energy technology to deliver a dual-power ‘wind +wave’ market disruptive platform solution to fast-track Floating Offshore Wind deployment.
The InSPIRE demonstration project paves the way for a full commercial roll-out of a Series 1 platform with a 12 MW rated capacity, followed by a Series 2 with a 18MW rated capacity.
Working with policy makers, energy companies, academia and the supply chain a highly competitive Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) of €50 per MWhr is predicted by 2030.
The InSPIRE project represents a significant advancement for the industry and a major step forward for a low carbon future.
InSPIRE takes a simple 3 step-approach to generating more Floating Offshore Wind energy:
1.Capitalise on ALL of the abundant natural resource accessible
2.Exploit the existing, unproductive submerged platform infrastructure
3.Increase capacity, consistency and efficiency for cost reduction benefits
Platform innovation
mWave™ features a series of air-filled rubber membrane covered concave cell modules positioned below the ocean’s surface transforming the submerged platform structure into productive real-estate, capturing maximum energy.
As waves pass over mWave, under-water pressure increases, causing each rubber membrane to compress sequentially, forcing air from inside the cells into a duct. Valves control a one-way air flow to the turbine — directly spinning a generator converting this rotation into electricity. After passing through the turbine the air is recycled to re-inflate each membrane in a continuous sequence. The sustainable power generated by mWave is transferred to the electrical grid via the same sub-sea cable used for the wind turbine.
The membranes can be fully deflated creating a ‘sleep mode’ protecting mWave from storm damage. mWave’s simple and modular design, with removable component parts, makes it efficient to operate and maintain. Its modularity also makes it rapidly scalable.
A clear and competitive commercialisation roadmap
The InSPIRE project has a clear roadmap to commercialisation and achieving a highly competitive Levelised Cost of Energy (LCOE) of €50 per MWhr by 2030.
TechnipFMC, Bombora and its partners will install, operate and demonstrate at sea a grid-connected integrated floating platform with a capacity of 6MW (2MW wave + 4MW wind power). The successful demonstration of InSPIRE will bring valuable experience, knowledge and de-risk upscaling, paving the way for commercial projects.
InSPIRE’s vision is to build knowledge and confidence in a ground-breaking integrated offshore energy solution, enabling maturity at a level where it can support the deployment of Gigawatts of renewable energy in deeper waters and out-compete fossil energy in the electricity market.
