Saitec Offshore Technologies has hired Strainstall, part of James Fisher and Sons plc, to supply four bespoke load shackles for the BlueSATH floating wind turbine prototype.
Saitec started building the 1:6 version of the SATH (Swinging Around Twin Hull) prototype in January.
This scaled-down version is scheduled to go online in April 2020 offshore Santander for a period of twelve months, after which the prototype will be completely decommissioned.
The pre-commercial platform uses single point mooring, which enables it to “weathervane” for increased wind exposure. The prototype aims to generate models that will help optimise its design, validate its structural integrity, and forecast its life cycle.
Strainstall’s load shackles will enable the prototype’s model verification operations. These will be installed within the platform’s mooring system to deliver highly accurate data in real time, the company said.
The obtained results and findings will be applied in the following 2MW real-scale model to be installed on the Basque Marine Energy Platform (BIMEP) in 2021.