Horizon Europe - TAILWIND - susTainable stAtionkeepIng systems for fLoating WIND

Project overview

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Dates: January 2024 – December 2027

Summary:

TAILWIND is a 4-year €5.1M investment by the European Union towards developing sustainable station-keeping systems for floating wind. TAILWIND is an international, multisectoral and multidisciplinary consortium including 12 partners from 8 EU member and associated states, representing the whole floating offshore wind systems supply chain.

Project Overview:

TAILWIND aims to make renewable energy more affordable and scalable using sustainable-by-design approaches to meet the increasing demand for offshore renewable energy.
Through the development of new materials for mooring lines and advancement of anchors, TAILWIND seeks to reduce raw material usage and minimise the footprint of floating offshore wind farms. The project emphasises environmentally friendly mooring configurations and anchoring systems to protect marine resources. TAILWIND also focuses on promoting the use of removable, reusable anchors and exploring the recyclability of fibre ropes to support a circular economy and ecosystem restoration efforts.

One of TAILWIND's main goals is to protect and conserve the marine environment, lowering the footprint of offshore wind farms. The project aims to advance resource efficiency and preserve Europe’s natural environment as outlined in the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. Model testing of anchors in seabed-like conditions will validate new concepts and develop better design procedures. Environmental impact studies are conducted to ensure compliance with pollution prevention principles, demonstrating TAILWIND’s commitment to sustainable offshore wind development.

This project contributes to the goals set by the “REPowerEU” Plan and the “Fit for 55” package, aiming to accelerate the roll-out of renewables, diversify energy supplies and trigger consistent energy savings.

TAILWIND is an international, multisectoral and multidisciplinary consortium including 12 partners from the industrial field, technical suppliers, and research institutes focused on station-keeping systems. The partners represent the 8 EU member and associated states (Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Germany, the UK, and Norway), representing the whole floating offshore wind systems supply chain.

The TAILWIND consortium is composed of: