Australian engineering company Worley has completed the accessibility design assessment for Saitec Offshore Technologies’ DemoSATH floating wind turbine.
DemoSATH is a 2 MW turbine mounted onto a concrete floating foundation which will be deployed at the Biscay Marine Energy Platform (BiMEP) open sea test site off the Basque Coast in northern Spain.
The project will test the very first floating wind foundation connected to the Spanish grid using SATH (Swinging Around Twin Hull) technology.
Worley provided advisory services pertaining to the access, inspection, and maintenance of boat landings and turret access design assessments.
The engineering company also consulted on access materials, handling scenarios depending on the weather conditions, different human factors, and Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) requirements.
“Maximizing availability of floating wind is one of our ultimate goals and having the opportunity to collaborate with Worley and taking advantage from their know-how and expertise serves as a stepping-stone towards a safe and optimal operation of SATH platforms,” said David Carrascosa , Chief Technology Officer, Saitec Offshore.
With the support of RWE Renewables , the DemoSATH project aims to prove the behaviour of the SATH Floating Solution under real operational and extreme conditions, collect data, and gain real-life knowledge from the construction, operation, and maintenance of the unit.
The pilot construction in the Port of Bilbao will start in the third quarter of 2020, and once installed and connected to the grid, a two-year operating phase will follow.
The ultimate objective of the project is to gather experience to implement improvements and optimizations to future commercial projects.