Wind Catching Systems belongs to Ferd and North Energy of the billionaire family Andresen – and wants to commercialize the Windcatcher from 2022.
The Norwegian cleantech startup Wind Catching Systems wants to commercialize a new type of technology for floating offshore wind power. The Windcatcher is a kind of lattice structure in which more than 100 rotors are integrated. Each turbine should have a capacity of one megawatt. Big advantage: The windcatcher systems can be towed, the assembly takes place on land. And: The consumption of resources is 80 percent lower compared to conventional systems – can the concept prevail?
Renewable energy needs additional, improved concepts so that the ecological transformation can succeed. The Norwegian cleantech startup Wind Catching Systems could be on the way with Windcatcher technology to provide an additional alternative for floating offshore wind energy. Then their expansion is time-consuming because high wind power towers have to be screwed together with great effort in the open sea.
A wind catcher system should be able to supply 80,000 households with electricity – this information must be proven in the commercialization phase. Compared to a single turbine, the system delivers around five times the energy yield. The plants are to be built by Abel, which has already made a name for itself with the construction of the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm.
Windatching Systems CEO Ole Heggheim wants to bring the computer simulations of the systems to reality as early as 2022/23. His promise: The wind catcher should be able to deliver electricity at market prices. The highlight: Standard components are used for the Windcatcher, which lead to cost savings. Many small rotors are easier to manufacture than a “world’s largest” turbine. At the same time, the service life should be superior to previous systems: If these are designed for 30 years, the Windcatcher could supply energy for 50 years.
Wind Catching Systems developed the technology in collaboration with Aibel and the Institute for Energy Technology, IFE. The floating multi-turbine parks of the WIndcatcher are connected to one another with a large rope. The aim now is to carry out the technical verification in the course of 2021 and to offer commercial deployment solutions in 2022.
Challenge classic systems with the Windcatcher
With its patented design of the wind catcher, Wind Catching wants to challenge today’s technical solutions. According to the information, operators and developers can quickly achieve the production costs that developers of traditional wind farms are only aiming for in 2030-2035. If the verification of the technology is successful, the technology offers great opportunities in projects in the North Sea, on the west coast of the USA or in Asia.
Wind Catching Systems was founded in 2017 by Asbjørn Nes, Arthur Kordt and Ole Heggheim with the aim of radically improving offshore wind technology. The goal was to build a system that would be competitive enough to do without subsidies. In 2020, Ferd and North Energy became the first external investors to join the cleantech company. With the support of Innovation Norway, Wind Catching Systems now has a solid financial footing to advance the technology and build a company that can have a truly transformative impact on the offshore wind industry. Can the Norwegian cleantech startup revolutionize floating offshore wind power? Will crystallize very soon.
