The Anonymous Widower

Encomara’s Floating Wind Installation Technology Gets ABS Design Approval

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

Encomara’s floating wind installation technology, Squid, has received Product Design Assessment (PDA) certification from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS)

These three paragraphs add more details.

The PDA follows an Approval in Principle (AiP) granted by ABS in November 2025 and moves the system a step closer to commercial deployment, according to Encomara, as it advances the technology along its qualification pathway towards Technology Readiness Level assessment and market adoption.

The technology is developed by Encomara and manufactured by Aurora Energy Services (AES), which acquired the Aberdeen-based company in 2025.

Squid integrates pre-installed mooring lines and electrical connections into a single subsea unit, enabling floating wind turbines to be connected using a “plug-and-play” approach.

In some ways the project reminds me of a floating oil and gas production platform, on which I did the calculations.

But the Balaena Structures design never sold a platform and the company, which was based in Cambridge, folded.

Encomara have a web site, which is well worth a visit.

Does Floating Wind Power Have A Higher Capacity Factor Than Fixed Foundation Wind Power?

I asked Google AI the question in the above sub-title and received this answer.

Yes. Floating wind power typically achieves higher capacity factors than fixed-foundation wind power.

The main reasons for this performance edge include:

Stronger, More Consistent Winds: Floating platforms allow turbines to be placed much further offshore, where wind speeds are higher, steadier, and less turbulent.

Access to Deeper Waters: Over 80% of deep-water offshore wind resources exist in waters too deep for fixed-bottom structures.

Performance Comparisons: Fixed offshore wind turbines typically see capacity factors ranging between 45% and 60% (depending on the location), whereas floating installations can push past 60%. For instance, the Hywind floating wind farm in Scotland achieved a capacity factor exceeding 65% in its first months of operation.

Despite this higher generation yield, floating wind technology is generally more complex and features higher installation and capital costs than fixed-bottom turbines.

I also believe that some of the floating wind technology, lends itself to advanced production and installation methods.

June 17, 2026 - Posted by AnonW | Artificial Intelligence, Design, Energy | Aberdeen, Encomara, Floating Wind Power, Google AI, Offshore Wind Power, Wind Power