Odfjell Oceanwind said it has received Basic Design Approval (BDA) from classification society DNV for its Deepsea Star floating offshore wind foundation, a key milestone in advancing large-scale floating wind technology.
The approval covers Siemens Gamesa’s SG DD-236 15-megawatt (MW) turbine and verifies the floater’s ability to operate under a wide range of environmental conditions, including the harsh environments of the North Sea and UK waters.
The certification, issued under DNV’s RU-OU-0512 standard for floating wind installations, confirms compliance with the DNV-ST-0119 requirements. It includes assessments of the floater’s main steel structure, corrosion protection, stability, mooring systems, and electrical components.
Odfjell Oceanwind said achieving BDA status enhances investor confidence and reduces risk for developers, while supporting faster project-specific optimisation and certification.
“Achieving this BDA classification has been a strategic priority for Odfjell Oceanwind,” chief executive Per Lund said. “By using a floater design with BDA, the likelihood of getting to financial close is significantly increased. The BDA provides certainty to safety regulators, banks, insurance companies, developers and suppliers that the Deepsea Star design can be trusted and thereby contributes to its overall bankability.”
Lund added that the certification underscores the company’s focus on developing a cost-effective and standardised floating platform for global deployment. “Through Odfjell’s more than 50 years legacy in the maritime industry we have seen the power of using recognised classification agencies like DNV for third-party classification and certification of standardised designs,” he said.
Sille Grjotheim, DNV’s global segment director for floating offshore wind, said the approval confirms the design’s robustness. “Our Basic Design Approval for the Deepsea Star floating foundation builds on an earlier concept validation and confirms the design’s compliance with recognised industry standards,” Grjotheim said. “This design has also been verified by additional independent analyses, increasing confidence in the review.”
Odfjell Oceanwind said the DNV approval represents a major advancement for floating wind technology, positioning the Deepsea Star as a scalable and bankable platform for future offshore projects in challenging marine environments.
