ABOUT THE PROJECT

Thanks to technological advances and policy incentives, the costs of onshore wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) energy have declined by 75% and 74% respectively since 2008. However, offshore wind—despite being stronger and more consistent than onshore wind—remains more expensive.

To bring floating offshore wind closer to cost parity with other forms of renewables, Aikido Technologies is developing three game-changing technologies to cut the levelized cost of electricity of floating wind: the Aikido Turbine, Controller, and Platform. The Controller can be added on to existing, conventional wind turbines to reduce installation time and vessel requirements; the Aikido Platform streamlines the logistics of assembling, transporting, and deploying large, floating wind units. Aikido’s novel system integrates the platform and turbine into a fully assembled unit that can be transported horizontally to enable floating offshore wind turbines to be deployed from 80% of ports in the U.S.—even those blocked by bridges. Once in place, a simple water ballasting procedure upends the platform into its operational configuration. During the Fellows program, Aikido will focus on piloting the Aikido Controller and Platform using a 2MW conventional turbine.

Aikido Technologies’ approach reduces the air draft, transit draft, and width required for transport. This is critical to leveraging existing maritime infrastructure and ensuring that local manufacturing sites can be used to build these large, steel structures for projects in the U.S. and abroad.