RWE Renewables, part of German RWE, and Spanish engineering firm Saitec Offshore Technologies will start testing a floating platform for wind turbines off the Basque Coast in 2021, as part of a joint pilot project called “DemoSATH”, aiming to test new ways to affordably install and operate offshore wind farms in deep waters.
SATH technology is based on a twin hull made of modularly prefabricated and subsequently braced concrete elements.
As explained, the float can align itself around a single point of mooring according to the wind and wave direction.
The objective of the project is to collect data and gain real-life knowledge from the construction, operation and maintenance of the unit.
The pilot project will last 3.5 years: 18 months for the planning and construction of the plant, followed by a two-year operating phase.
The focus is on the performance and on the load behavior of the platform under all possible conditions and on operational experience, which is essential for the planning of future commercial wind farms.
Among the things to be tested are safe and efficient solutions for vessel accessibility to the platform and for the replacement of large components.
DemoSATH will be Saitec Offshore’s second project in open waters. In April 2020, the deployment of a scaled 1:6 model off the Coast of Santander is scheduled.
For the large prototype, the structure and the 2 MW wind turbine will be assembled in the port of Bilbao. The base of the structure will be approx. 30 metres wide and approx. 64 metres long.
The plant is expected to go into operation in the third quarter of 2021. The electricity generated during the project will be fed into the Spanish power grid.
Recently released data by WindEurope showed that the EU added 3.6GW offshore wind capacity in 2019, achieving a new record in annual installations.
