On 1 July 2025 the University of Porto (UPorto) became a new member of the EU‑funded TAILWIND project. The Portugal’s flagship university brings together its Geotechnical and Hydraulics department to lead Atlantic‑ready station‑keeping systems research.
During a dedicated kick‑off meeting hosted by NGI in Oslo, Uporto presented their mission to advance station‑keeping systems for floating wind energy along the Portuguese Atlantic coast. By releasing the findings as open knowledge, the academics aim to speed up commercial roll‑out on this third challenging project site interested by TAILWIND research and innovation activities.
To achieve this result, UPorto will analyse the impact of multidirectional cyclic loading on Atlantic‑coast soils through triaxial tests. The team will also study the hydrodynamic behaviour of moored floating platforms, soil response, scour and potential liquefaction induced by the vibration of mooring line. Insights will feed into advanced numerical models of soil‑anchor systems, to indentify new failure modes, reduce associated risk, enhance design reliability and ultimately optimise their design and reduce costs.
The work will ultimately deliver resilient, sustainable and high‑performance station‑keeping solutions tailored to the North‑Atlantic coast conditions. By adding Portuguese academic excellence to the consortium, TAILWIND now spans Europe’s three offshore‑wind hotspots, the North Sea, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean, reinforcing EU leadership in green‑energy innovation.
July 21, 2025
