-- Wison New Energies has unveiled a new floating wind platform design aimed at supporting the industry's shift toward massive, next-generation turbines, the company said on Wednesday.
The Chinese offshore engineering firm said its engineers had developed a four-column semi-submersible floating platform and compared it with a conventional three-column design under North Atlantic operating conditions.
The research comes as floating offshore wind developers increasingly seek platform designs capable of supporting next-generation turbines exceeding 16 MW, which require greater stability and resilience in harsh offshore environments.
"As floating wind moves toward large-capacity turbine, platform optimization requires an integrated assessment of structural dynamics, hydrodynamics, and coupled responses," Weimin Chen, director of Offshore Wind at Wison Energies, said in a statement.
Chen said the study reflects that systems-level approach and highlights the importance of comprehensive evaluation at the early design stage.
Floating wind technology is viewed as critical for expanding offshore renewable energy generation into deeper waters where fixed-bottom turbines are not feasible.