TouchWind Advances Floating Turbine Tech with We4Ce Rotor Blades
Dutch startup TouchWind has entered the next phase of testing for its floating, one-piece rotor wind turbine, with rotor blades designed and manufactured by engineering firm We4Ce and mould specialist Kleizen.
We4Ce delivered 10 rotor blade sets for TouchWind’s TW6 prototype, a 12 kW self-tilting turbine that challenges conventional three-blade wind turbine models. The TW6 features a six-meter-diameter rotor capable of operating in extreme wind speeds—up to 250 km/h—significantly higher than the shutdown thresholds of traditional turbines.
The design’s key innovation is its single, downwind rotor that tilts in response to wind conditions, functioning more like a kite than a conventional turbine. This approach reduces structural stress and enables continuous operation in high winds, potentially increasing energy yield and cutting overall costs.
TouchWind, backed by Japanese maritime company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), commissioned We4Ce as lead partner for the blade design. We4Ce’s structural design work was complemented by aerodynamic input from TouchWind founder Rikus van de Klippe. The result is a blade built for both efficiency and resilience, using a new production method that eliminates bonding lines in the blade’s nose to reduce erosion and extend durability.
Kleizen was responsible for producing the complex moulds and the blades themselves, applying a vacuum infusion process with epoxy resin and glass fiber to meet tight tolerances and performance demands. The materials and process were optimized to ensure strength, durability, and dimensional precision.
Testing of the TW6 will begin in summer 2025, with installations both onshore and offshore. Multiple units will be placed in close proximity to test energy density, a metric the design has shown promise in during wind tunnel testing.
Long-term, TouchWind aims to scale the technology to a 3–5 MW version suitable for offshore deployment. Its compact, high-efficiency design may offer a solution for denser wind farm layouts with reduced turbine interference and greater power generation per area.
TouchWind will present the turbine design at WindEurope in Copenhagen, April 8–10, 2025, at stand C1-C70.
