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2026 ORGANISATION

When


The  fifth edition of the challenge runs in the academic year of 2025 to 2026:

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  • 22 September 2025: start of the registration for the competition

  • 23 January 2026: abstract deadline

    • ​1 page A4 flyer containing:

      • 3D drawing of the floating concept (competition scale)

      • Details of the participants (photo, name, university/company, year of study/position ..)​​

      • Explanation about standout features of your concept​

    • 3D model of the structure (competition scale)​ - STEP file - note: 3D model of the wind turbine will be provided in October.

  • 6 February 2026: Abstract feedback from evaluation committee

    • Selected teams will receive a wind turbine for the competition

    • Top abstracts may be eligible for a budget of 1000€ for fabrication costs of their structure

  • 16 May 2026: Report & structure deadline 

    • Page limit for reports: 40 pages

    • Video showing the floating structure + moorings & anchors

    • In select countries, a local competition may be organised

  • 30 May 2026: Feedback on safety review and final approval to join the competition event by the evaluation committee​

  • ​Week of 6 - 10 July 2026: International final competition event​​​ & other activities

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Who


Groups of young engineers can participate in the challenge. Different options for entering the competition are:

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  • It can be integrated as part of a problem solving and design course at a university, where a group of students work on a specific topic (e.g. KU Leuven has integrated it in a civil engineering project course).

  • Groups of university or high school students (18+) can sign up for the challenge as part of extra curricular activities. We advise to have supervision from e.g. a professor or an industry professional in the offshore wind industry to help guide the group in the competition.​

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Students from all levels (high school, undergraduate, graduate and PhD level) can participate in the challenge. In case of questions, please send us an email.

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What

 

The groups have to design and build a floating wind turbine structure. In the 2026 edition, the structure needs to meet the following requirements:

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  • Turbine: Vevor 500W wind turbine

  • Hub height: 1.20m above water level ±10cm

  • Water depth: min. 1m - max. 1.5m

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Where


This is a global competition and groups of young engineers from across the world can participate in it. The location for the final competition will be announced later in 2025.

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Prize

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The competition is evaluated using the following criteria: 

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  • Power generation efficiency (Efficiency losses caused by dynamic wind/wave interaction) - 20pts

  • Structural integrity (Support structure design) - 20pts

  • Foundation stability (FOU - Foundations/anchors and moorings) - 20pts

  • Practicality of construction (T&I - Transport and Installation) - 20pts

  • Cost efficiency at full scale (Materials & fabrication cost) - 20pts

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Bonus points may be awarded within each criterion for innovative and sustainable solutions that enhance its performance. A panel, consisting of industry and academic experts in offshore wind, evaluates the criteria at the competition event.

 

There are two separate prizes of 1000€ for the competition based on the theory (best written report / presentation) and practice (best performance of the structure at sea).

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