Windcatcher
The Norwegian company Windcatching Systems (WCS), together with the oil and gas company Aibel, has developed a unique wind-catching system. It is a giant grid with a height of 325 meters with many small wind turbines (about 120), arranged in a staggered order. Similar to conventional land-based wind turbines, the Windcatcher is attached to the sea floor by metal piles.
In terms of the amount of electricity generated, it is quite comparable to several Vestas V236 wind turbines with a capacity of 15 MW, designed for wind speeds of up to 43 km/h. One WCS installation can surpass by 500 % the annual energy production of conventional offshore power plants and provide light to up to 80 thousand homes.
Windcatcher
According to the developers, such installations are quite easy to assemble and maintain. In particular, the assembly can be carried out on the deck of a special vessel without cranes, and the lattice structure is easily accessible for maintenance. In addition, its service life is 50 years, which is 20 years more than conventional wind turbines. So far, the estimated cost of WCS energy is slightly higher than that of land-based wind turbines and solar panels, but compared to other marine generators, on the contrary, it is somewhat cheaper. As you scale, obviously, this cost will decrease. The company reports that testing of the pilot plant will last until the end of 2022, and if successful, the serial production of such systems can begin as early as 2023-24.
Windcatcher
