The world’s largest floating wind platform will snap together like IKEA furniture

Floating offshore wind tech company Aikido is working with Norway’s Marin Energy Test Centre (METCentre) to launch a massive 15-megawatt (MW) demonstration project called AO60. Scheduled for deployment in 2027 off the coast of Haugesund, AO60 will be one of the largest floating wind platforms ever built.

The METCentre has a track record of supporting pioneering floating wind projects, including the world’s first floating turbine deployed by Equinor (then Statoil) in 2009. Now, it’s getting ready to host another first: Aikido’s innovative platform is designed to slash costs and make assembly and deployment a whole lot faster and simpler.

At the heart of Aikido’s approach is its compact, modular platform made up of 13 steel components – columns and trusses – that can be fabricated at standard offshore wind or steel manufacturing sites. Thanks to a clever “flat-pack” design and pin-joint connections that act like hinges, the platform can fold up to take up just one-third of the space of conventional designs during transport.

There’s no heavy-duty welding or painting during assembly, and the platform can be completed in days, not months. Once it’s in the water, a ballasting process unfolds the structure into its full size, ready to go.

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It can also use Norway’s existing ports, infrastructure, and vessels, keeping things local, faster, and cheaper.

“We are proud to announce our partnership with the METCentre,” said Aikido CEO Sam Kanner. “This project will show how Aikido can leverage existing infrastructure and vessels to reduce risks and accelerate the deployment of floating wind in Norway and around the world.”

METCentre director Cecilia Girard-Vika added, “This project offers valuable industry experience and supports the development of a full-scale, innovative, and cost-effective solution. We are very excited to welcome Aikido to our site in Norway and connect them with Norway’s strong floating offshore wind supply chain.”

Read more: The world’s largest single-capacity floating wind platform has two turbines

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