BW Ideol was created in 2010 with one single objective: disrupt the offshore wind sector by developing the best possible floating wind technology. The best technology because of its seaworthiness and power production performances but also the best technology because of its meeting market expectations in terms of compatibility with tomorrow’s giant offshore wind turbines, in terms of high local content capabilities, in terms of low carbon footprint and of course in terms of scaleability and cost-competitiveness.
Since day one, our teams efforts have been focused on staying ahead of the competition through innovation and through optimizing our proven technology and scaleability leveraging a unique and often pioneering track-record.
It is this unique track record that motivated us over 3 years ago to develop and implement our dual-leg strategy of both technology provider AND project co-developer. Floating wind is undoubtedly a fast growth industry with tremendous global potential. Floating wind is also a nascent industry with relatively few real expertise and real track-record available on the market. Commercial-scale opportunities start to abound across the globe and multi-billion dollar GW-scale projects are no longer science fiction.
More than ever, solid and internationally recognized floating wind expertise and track-record are of tremendous value to a project consortium and BW Ideol can demonstrate both. Solid financial modelling thanks to accurate capex, opex and yield simulations are invaluable when working on binding offers. Let us consequently sit down together and see how we can win tenders and deliver projects on time and on budget together.
TRACK-RECORD
BW Ideol is the only floating wind technology in the world with 2 full-scale assets in operation for the last 4 years.
Floatgen (France) and Hibiki (Japan) have both demonstrated that BW Ideol’s technology is not only universal but can perform, produce power and safely weather extreme conditions such as typhoons. Such unique and proven track-record has without a doubt contributed to our obtaining non-recourse project financing.
To this day, Floatgen is the first offshore wind turbine installed in France and remains the only floating wind turbine in operation in France. In Japan, our technology is the first and only foreign technology implemented on a full-scale floating wind unit.
A 30 MW project currently under construction
The EolMed project will feature 3 X 10 MW (Vestas) wind turbines. As technology provider and co-owner of the project company, we consolidate our know-how and our ability to design, engineer and manage the deployment of several units.
1GW of project under development in Scotland
BW Ideol, in partnership with BayWa & Elicio, is currently developing a 1GW floating wind project off Scotland. This project has been allocated within the framework of the ScotWind tender led by Crown Estate Scotland.
TECHNOLOGY
BW Ideol has patented a barge-type technology which meets the main development challenges of tomorrow’s offshore wind market: cost reduction, bigger wind turbines, mass production, local content expectations and sustainability.
The smaller, the better
Damping Pool® is the most compact floating foundation on the market. This compactness applies to the dimensions of the barge, whether in width or draft, and allows for access to more port facilities in order to built, launch and store the floating substructures as well as assemble and fit the wind turbines at quay.
Pioneer in concrete
We were among the first to believe in concrete as the best construction material for floaters and we still think so ! Concrete - compared to steel - is the least polluting material, the least subject to price volatility, and the easiest to supply. DNV has recently published a report (conducted for JELSA) which indicates that "Concrete floaters come out on top in terms of cost, carbon-footprint and european serial production capabilities".
But that does not prevent us from being agile and manufacture our Damping Pool® in steel for pilot-scale projects or in countries with very mature steel and shipbuilding industries.
The best solution to create local content & employment
Our floating foundation offers multiple construction and launching methods to guarantee the highest level of local content near the project sites.
Watch here the local benefits created by the Floatgen project
Pioneer in synthetic mooring lines
Innovation is everywhere in our solution, and also in the mooring system. The use of synthetic fibers reduces costs while being resistant in the long-term.
PIPELINE
We’re where the market is
BW Ideol is involved in the most strategic markets with more than 3,4GW of substantiated pipeline of projects under development across Europe, Asia and the US. In Japan, we have the largest project pipeline with more than 2.2GW under development.
And with leading partners
Our strategy is to team up with leading local developers and utilities (eg. EDF in France, Eneos or Tohoku Electric Power Company in Japan) and combine our unique floating wind expertise and track-record with their local permitting, consenting, grid management and overall stakeholder engagement experience.
Since February 2021, BW Ideol is supported by BW Offshore as strategic shareholder. BW Offshore brings an extensive experience from development and operation of complex and capital-intensive offshore energy production systems across the globe.
