Bw Ideol
BW Ideol is a floating offshore wind technology provider and project co-developer that designs, certifies, and manufactures the patented Damping Pool® floating foundation for deep-water wind farms (60m+), serving utilities, energy majors, and renewable developers across Europe, Asia, and North America.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersOslo, Norway
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Bw Ideol does
BW Ideol is a floating offshore wind technology provider and project co-developer headquartered in La Ciotat, France, with regional offices in Tokyo, Japan and planned manufacturing in Ardersier, Scotland. Founded in 2010 as Ideol S.A. by Paul de la Guérivière and Pierre Coulombeau, the company developed the patented Damping Pool® floating foundation, a compact (54m footprint, sub-12m draft) concrete substructure that uses a central water-filled damping pool to stabilize wind turbines in waters deeper than 60m where fixed-bottom foundations are not feasible. Two full-scale demonstrators have been operating since 2018: Floatgen (2MW, France) and Hibiki (3MW, Japan), with the 30MW EolMed pre-commercial project (three Vestas turbines with Qair and TotalEnergies) energized in April 2026. The product portfolio has since been standardized into three pre-certified classes compatible with all 15MW+ turbines, validated by DNV Basic Design Certification (May 2025) and ClassNK Approval in Principle (November 2025).
BW Ideol operates a fully integrated platform combining technology licensing, EPC services, project co-development (with minority equity stakes such as the 15% interest in Méditerranée Grand Large held via the BW Ideol Projects Company JV with ADEME Investissement), and serial manufacturing of concrete foundations. The Fos3F factory at Fos-sur-Mer is designed for up to 30 floaters per year, supported by €74M from the EU Innovation Fund and €52M from the French State (C3IV), with a parallel Ardersier facility planned in Scotland. Customers are large energy developers, utilities, and energy majors (EDF Renewables, TotalEnergies, ENEOS, Tohoku Electric Power, Taiya Renewable Energy, Elawan Energy/ORIX), with distribution driven by competitive tenders and direct co-development partnerships. The company is privately held following BW Offshore's 2023 compulsory acquisition and delisting from Euronext Growth Oslo, with Holcim taking a minority strategic equity stake in January 2026.
Bw Ideol firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bw Ideol
- Legal name
- Ideol SAS
- Website
- https://bw-ideol.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- BW Ideol is a floating offshore wind technology provider and project co-developer that designs, certifies, and manufactures the patented Damping Pool® floating foundation for deep-water wind farms (60m+), serving utilities, energy majors, and renewable developers across Europe, Asia, and North America.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bw Ideol industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Floating Offshore Wind Technology
- NAICS
- Wind Electric Power Generation (221115)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Offshore Wind Substructures & Marine Engineering (Monopiles, Jackets, Floating) (EUAMACAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Offshore Wind Power Generation (Floating) (EUACAFAC), Offshore Wind Project Development & Leasing (EUAMACAB), Marine & Offshore Wind BOP Construction (Foundations, Cables, Ports, Installation Support) (EUAMAFAI), Wind Blades, Towers & Foundations Manufacturing (EUAMACAD)
Keywords
Where Bw Ideol is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oslo
- HQ country
- Norway
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Bw Ideol business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Technology Licensing and EPC Services: Providing proprietary Damping Pool® technology as a floating foundation supplier, including engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) services for floating wind projects.
- Project Co-development: Co-developing floating offshore wind projects as a minority equity partner alongside major developers, capturing value through project development and ownership stakes in projects like Buchan (960MW Scotland) and Méditerranée Grand Large (~270MW France).
- Manufacturing and Supply: Operating manufacturing facilities for concrete floating foundations (Fos3F factory) to supply multiple floating wind projects in the Mediterranean region, targeting capacity of up to 30 floaters per year.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Bw Ideol product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BW Ideol develops, licenses, and manufactures the patented Damping Pool® floating foundation technology that enables offshore wind turbine deployment in waters deeper than 60m. The company offers standardized, pre-certified floating foundations compatible with 15 MW+ turbines, provides engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) services for floating wind projects, and co-develops commercial-scale projects as a minority equity partner alongside utilities and energy majors.
Product overview
BW Ideol is a fully integrated platform for floating offshore wind technology and project co-development. The company's core offering centers on its patented Damping Pool® floating foundation technology, which enables wind turbines to operate in deep waters (60m+) where fixed-bottom foundations are not feasible. BW Ideol offers standardized, pre-certified floating foundations compatible with 15 MW+ turbines in three environmental classes. The product portfolio includes operational demonstrators (Floatgen in France, Hibiki in Japan), pre-commercial projects (EolMed), and commercial-scale developments (Buchan 1GW, Méditerranée Grand Large 270MW). The company also provides floating electrical substations in partnership with Hitachi Energy and operates manufacturing facilities (Fos3F) for serial production of concrete foundations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Damping Pool® Technology Patented floating foundation technology using a central water-filled damping pool to optimize stability and overall performance of floating offshore wind turbines in extreme conditions. Features a compact 54m footprint and shallow draft under 12m, enabling deployment in waters deeper than 60m. Licensed and supplied to offshore wind project developers and energy majors globally.
- Standardized Universal Floating Foundation Standardized floating foundation based on Damping Pool technology offered in 3 product classes for different environmental conditions. Pre-certified by DNV and ClassNK, compatible with all 15 MW+ turbines, easily scalable to 20 MW+ turbines, enabling mass production from a single manufacturing line. For offshore wind project developers and turbine manufacturers.
- Floating Electrical Substation Floating offshore substation developed with Hitachi Energy, based on the Damping Pool concept. Modular and universal design suitable for fixed and floating offshore wind farms from 40m depth. Pre-assembled at quay with cost-reducing installation methods. For offshore wind farm operators and developers.
- Fos3F Manufacturing Line Concrete floating foundation manufacturing facility at Fos-sur-Mer, France, designed for serial production of up to 30 floating foundations per year using a digitalized, standardized manufacturing blueprint replicable across port infrastructures. Targets one floater per week output. For offshore wind project developers in the Mediterranean region.
- Floatgen Demonstrator 2 MW Vestas V80 floating wind turbine installed at the SEM-REV test site off Le Croisic, France at 33m water depth. First offshore wind turbine in France; in operation since 2018. Achieved 6 GWh annual production in 2019 with 94.6% time availability.
- Hibiki Demonstrator 3 MW floating wind turbine installed off Kitakyushu, Japan at 55m water depth. Demonstrated excellent seakeeping performance through multiple super-typhoons. Constructed by Hitachi Zosen in collaboration with BW Ideol's engineering teams.
- EolMed Pre-Commercial Project 30 MW pre-commercial floating offshore wind project comprising three Vestas turbines on BW Ideol Damping Pool floating foundations, located 20 km off Port-La Nouvelle and Gruissan, France at 55m water depth. BW Ideol provides design and engineering of the floaters and co-develops the project with Qair and TotalEnergies.
- Buchan Offshore Wind Project 960 MW floating offshore wind project in the ScotWind NE8 area off Scotland at 75-110m water depth. BW Ideol holds co-development rights and will supply Damping Pool foundations manufactured at the Ardersier Energy Transition Facility in Northeast Scotland.
- Méditerranée Grand Large Project Approximately 270 MW floating offshore wind project located 25 km off the French Mediterranean coast near Fos-sur-Mer. BW Ideol provides floater design and is co-developer alongside EDF Renewables and Maple Power, holding a 15% equity stake in the project company.
Quantifiable outcome
- Floatgen achieved 6 GWh annual production with 94.6% time availability and withstood wave heights up to 12.5m
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Bw Ideol
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Bw Ideol technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Bw Ideol partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- QaircoreDeveloper of EolMed floating wind pilot project (30MW) in southern France. Project features three Vestas turbines on BW Ideol's Damping Pool foundations, located 20km off Port-La Nouvelle.
- TotalEnergiescoreCo-developer of EolMed floating wind pilot project alongside Qair and BW Ideol.
- Centrale NantesminorR&D partnership for BATSO project on heavy maintenance optimization. Centrale Nantes provides basin testing and cable robot system design for floating wind turbine maintenance operations.
- OPEN-C FoundationminorPartner in BATSO and Velella R&D projects. OPEN-C is leader in offshore testing and operator of proposed test sites including SEM-REV.
- Elawan EnergycoreExclusive agreement for joint development of multi-GW floating wind project pipeline offshore Spain and Portugal. Elawan is owned by ORIX Corporation.
- Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc.coreJoint feasibility study for commercial-scale floating wind project off Kuji City, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. Obtained ClassNK Approval in Principle for 15MW-class turbine system in November 2025.
- Taiya Renewable EnergycorePartnership for development of 50MW pilot floating wind project and commercial-scale projects in Taiwan. BW Ideol holds exclusive EPCI contract for foundation design, engineering, construction and installation.
- ENEOS CorporationcoreJoint development agreement for commercial-scale floating wind projects in Japan. ENEOS is Japan's largest oil refiner and distributor.
- Hitachi ABB Power Grids (now Hitachi Energy)coreCollaboration on developing scalable floating electrical substations for offshore wind farms based on Damping Pool concept, suitable for fixed and floating installations from 40m depth.
- Taisei CorporationminorMoU for joint development and promotion of concrete floating foundations using Damping Pool technology in Japan. Taisei is one of Japan's largest construction companies with marine construction expertise.
- EDF Renewables / EDF power solutionscoreLong-standing partnership for floating wind projects in France. EDF Renewables and Maple Power consortium won AO6 Mediterranean tender with BW Ideol as technology partner. BW Ideol Projects Company holds 15% equity stake in Méditerranée Grand Large project company (approximately 250MW).
- Maple PowercoreJoint venture between CPP Investments and Enbridge developing Méditerranée Grand Large floating wind project with BW Ideol as technology provider and equity partner.
- Aggregate Industries (Holcim subsidiary)minorUK construction materials supplier for optimizing local supply chain for floating wind foundations in Scotland.
- Hitachi ZosenminorJapanese shipyard that constructed Hibiki floating wind turbine demonstrator in collaboration with BW Ideol's engineering teams.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Bw Ideol competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Vestas: Danish wind turbine OEM that supplied V80 turbines for Floatgen and three V174 turbines for EolMed on BW Ideol foundations. Key supply-chain partner and the de facto reference turbine vendor for BW Ideol's pre-commercial projects.
- Equinor (Hywind): Norwegian energy major that pioneered floating wind with Hywind Scotland (30 MW, operational since 2017) and Hywind Tampen (88 MW). Operates the only commercial-scale floating wind farms in operation and is both a competitor and potential customer for floating foundation technology.
Direct peers
- Aker Solutions: Norwegian engineering, procurement and construction company developing concrete substructure floating wind solutions (in partnership with Aker BP and others). Direct competitor for serial-production concrete floating foundations and adjacent EPC services for offshore wind.
- Principle Power: US/Portuguese developer of the WindFloat semi-submersible floating foundation — the most direct competitor to BW Ideol's Damping Pool, with deployed units at WindFloat Atlantic (Portugal) and Kincardine (Scotland). Competes head-to-head for floating offshore wind project tenders globally.
- SBM Offshore: Dutch offshore contractor active in floating wind EPCI and co-development (including Provence Grand Large). Highly comparable business model — floating wind foundation supplier and co-developer — and recruited BW Ideol's CBDO from SBM Offshore's renewables business.
- Saipem: Italian offshore engineering and construction firm with floating wind EPC capabilities and prior involvement in Provence Grand Large. Competes for floating wind EPCI contracts and provides comparable offshore project execution capabilities.
Emerging players
- Stiesdal Offshore Technology: Danish floating wind developer of the TetraSpar concept — a modular steel floating foundation targeting industrialized serial production. Comparable to BW Ideol's standardization play, though with a different structural architecture.
- Hexicon: Swedish developer of the TwinWind multi-turbine floating foundation concept. Smaller and earlier-stage than BW Ideol but competing for the same floating wind tender pipeline and developer mindshare.
Others
- Hitachi Energy: Partner (with Hitachi ABB Power Grids lineage) co-developing BW Ideol's floating electrical substation based on the Damping Pool concept. Adjacent enabling technology vendor rather than a competitor — relevant because it expands BW Ideol's addressable scope into substations.
- Hitachi Zosen: Japanese shipyard and engineering company that constructed the Hibiki floating wind demonstrator for BW Ideol. Serves as a fabrication and marine-construction partner in the Japanese market rather than a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Bw Ideol social profiles
Digital presenceBw Ideol compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Bw Ideol financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bw Ideol leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Bw Ideol subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Bw Ideol funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bw Ideol M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bw Ideol
What does Bw Ideol do?
BW Ideol develops, licenses, and manufactures the patented Damping Pool® floating foundation technology that enables offshore wind turbine deployment in waters deeper than 60m. The company offers standardized, pre-certified floating foundations compatible with 15 MW+ turbines, provides engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) services for floating wind projects, and co-develops commercial-scale projects as a minority equity partner alongside utilities and energy majors.
Is Bw Ideol a public or private company?
Bw Ideol is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Bw Ideol founded?
Bw Ideol was founded in 2010. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Bw Ideol based?
Bw Ideol is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, in the Europe region.
How does Bw Ideol make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Technology Licensing and EPC Services are the primary driver. The others are project Co-development and manufacturing and Supply.
Who are Bw Ideol's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Vestas and Equinor (Hywind). Direct peers are Aker Solutions, Principle Power, SBM Offshore and Saipem. Emerging players are Stiesdal Offshore Technology and Hexicon. Others are Hitachi Energy and Hitachi Zosen.
Does Bw Ideol have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bw Ideol.
What industry is Bw Ideol in?
Bw Ideol's product category is Floating Offshore Wind Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAMACAE, Offshore Wind Substructures & Marine Engineering (Monopiles, Jackets, Floating), with a secondary code of EUACAFAC, Offshore Wind Power Generation (Floating). Its NAICS code is 221115.