About two-thirds of the nation’s offshore wind resource potential can be found in water depths over 60 meters—areas where floating offshore wind turbines are more practical and cost effective than fixed-bottom turbines. The FLoating Offshore Wind ReadINess (FLOWIN) Prize aims to help unlock this potential.

The first-ever prize from DOE’s Wind Energy Technologies Office, the FLOWIN Prize will help pave the way for the cost-effective domestic manufacture and deployment of commercial utility-scale floating offshore wind energy turbines in U.S. waters. This three-phase competition invites designers, fabricators, and project site developers to tackle some of offshore wind energy’s biggest challenges related to supply chains and large-scale execution.

Prize Goals

• Advance designs of floating offshore wind turbine platforms for manufacturing
• Improve supply chain readiness to enable mass production and assembly in the United States
• Lower associated costs and risks
• Further the principles of inclusion and environmental justice embodied in the Biden administration’s Justice40 Initiative.

Prize Phases

Winners from each phase will earn awards from a total cash pool of $5.75 million, plus at least $1.1 million in technical support vouchers from DOE national laboratories.

• Phase One: Qualification and Teaming
• Phase Two: U.S. Manufacturing Approaches
• Phase Three: Detailed Implementation Pathways

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Concrete-Based Evolved Spar Solution: Provides durability and cost-effectiveness.

Unique Suspension System: A stabilizing ballast tank suspended from an upper buoyancy tank ensures stability and synchronized movement between the two tanks.

Modular Design: The upper hull is submerged for better stability, while a modular steel tripod emerges as a transition piece, allowing easy scalability and adaptation.

Reduced Infrastructure Needs: WHEEL technology allows for the rapid construction of concrete caissons on floating barges.

High Local Content: 98% of the WHEEL platform can be sourced and manufactured within the United States, supporting local industries and reducing reliance on foreign materials.

The onshore and port facilities necessary to construct the wind turbines will take months to develop. These facilities will be used for prefabrication of the massive components, storage of material and equipment, and provide office space for personnel. By participating in this early stage of development the concrete team can ensure adequate space and resources will be provided when WHEEL production begins.

Under the supervision of in-house Professional Engineer, Moti Salas, Largo has the expertise to design, engineer, and build formwork of any shape and complexity. With decades of experience and utilizing the latest in BIM technologies, Largo’s engineering department teams with the premiere architects and engineers in the industry to deliver projects in the design-assist format.

Engineers

• Cary Kopczynski & Co.
• DCI Engineers
• Englekirk
• FBA Structural
• John A. Martin
• KPFF
• Labib Funk & Assoc.
• Nabih Youssef
• Saiful Bouquet

Ready Mix Suppliers

• Associated
• Cemex
• Cal Porland
• National Ready Mix
• Holliday Rock
• Granite

Formwork Vendors

• Peri
• Atlas
• Doka
• Titan

Largo Concrete, Inc. was formed in 1989 by post-tensioning and concrete veterans Harold (Hal) Long and Mark Carnathan. Hal became one of the original inductees into the Post-Tensioning Institute’s Hall of Fame for his contributions to the industry prior to forming Largo Concrete. Hal is credited with the invention of the anchor which holds single strand post-tensioned cables to the slab edge, a device which is still used around the world.