X1 Wind has successfully installed its floating platform at the PLOCAN test site in the Canary Islands.
Using a suitable weather window, the company and its partners from the EU-backed PivotBuoy Project completed the installation process, connecting the fully-functional floating wind prototype to the mooring system and dynamic cable pre-installed last June.
The X30 platform has been developed with several key design features to streamline the installation process, including a light-weight and stable floater which can be easily wet towed by local vessels.
The PivotBuoy Project focuses on demonstrating an innovative mooring system configuration that combines the advantages of a SPM (single point mooring) with a small TLP (Tension-Leg Platform) mooring system, allowing the ability to reach deeper waters and minimising the footprint and impact on the seabed.
After completing the installation, the PivotBuoy project will be tested in fully operational conditions until March 2023, feeding the electricity produced to PLOCAN’s smartgrid, after it has been commissioned.
X1 Wind Operations Manager Jorge Casanovas said operations will soon commence collecting valuable data to validate performance in open ocean conditions for the first time.
“As installation work comes to a close another exciting chapter begins for X1 Wind as we prepare for operations to deliver first power to the PLOCAN smartgrid,” he said.
“Now successfully installed, we will begin monitoring the platform in real-time with multiple sensors integrated within our in-house SCADA system.”
X1 Wind CEO and Co-Founder Alex Raventos added that commercial scale plans are now gathering pace and will leverage the learnings from the PivotBuoy prototype: “This is a key milestone for our company and for the floating wind sector in general being able to install a floating wind platform using a TLP mooring system and requiring only small vessels.
“This reduces not only the costs but also the impact on the seabed.
“Data obtained from the X30 will contribute to de-risk the technology, improve the design, and obtain the certification of our commercial-scale platforms in preparation for upcoming tenders in Spain and other countries worldwide.”