The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has banked $5.7m in new funding from the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) for work on floating wind power technology.

NREL was named “prime contractor” for three projects within ARPA-E’s Atlantis (Aerodynamic Turbines Lighter and Afloat with Nautical Technologies and Integrated Servo-control) programme, led by one to develop “radically” new floating turbine concepts by optimising rotor-area-to-total-weight ratio and honing generation efficiency.