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Industry News: Odfjell Oceanwind sets new benchmark for floating offshore wind with DNV’s Basic Design Approval of Deepsea Star™ design for 15 MW turbine

November 11, 2025
Industry News: Odfjell Oceanwind sets new benchmark for floating offshore wind with DNV’s Basic Design Approval of Deepsea Star™ design for 15 MW turbine

Odfjell Oceanwind has been granted Basic Design Approval (BDA) from DNV for the Deepsea Star™ floating offshore wind design. The BDA covers the use of Siemens Gamesa’s SG DD-236 15MW wind turbine generator in a wide range of conditions, including the harsh environments present in multiple offshore wind locations in the North Sea and UK. This achievement positions Odfjell Oceanwind at the forefront of floating offshore wind innovation and underscores DNV’s role as a leader in shaping relevant renewable energy framework and standards.

The BDA was granted in accordance with DNV-RU-OU-0512 which is globally recognised for the classification of floating wind installation designs. The BDA process, conducted by DNV, is a rigorous assessment that verifies that the Deepsea Star™ design follows the governing standard DNV-ST-0119, including the strength and grade of steel material for the main steel structure, corrosion protection, stability, mooring, marine and electrical systems. Odfjell Oceanwind recognizes that obtaining the BDA provides a robust foundation that can facilitate later project-specific design optimization and certification processes.

By achieving the BDA, Odfjell Oceanwind strengthens investor confidence and reduces risk for developers adopting the Deepsea Star™ floater design. The BDA is a result of an extensive, front-loaded engineering and compliance effort which can reduce time and cost of maturing floating offshore wind projects towards Final Investment Decisions.

“Achieving this BDA classification has been a strategic priority for Odfjell Oceanwind. By using a floater design with BDA, the likelihood of getting to Financial Close is significantly increased,” says Per Lund, CEO of Odfjell Oceanwind. “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. This regime has lent itself well to de-risk ship and drilling rig designs and works equally well for floating offshore wind. 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. We expect this form of certification to be instrumental in the journey of safely bringing down costs and making floating offshore wind relevant in the future energy mix.”

“Our Basic Design Approval for the Deepsea Star floating foundation builds on an earlier concept validation and confirms the design’s compliance with recognized industry standards. This design has also been verified by additional independent analyses, increasing confidence in the review,” said Sille Grjotheim, Global Segment Director Floating Offshore Wind at DNV. “We are proud to support Odfjell Oceanwind in their development of a robust floater for the floating wind market.”

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