X1 Wind is preparing to deploy its PivotBuoy floating wind technology in the Canary Islands after successfully completing the assembly and load-out of a fully-functional prototype.
The prototype has been developed through the €4m PivotBuoy project awarded by the European Commission H2020 Program.
It will be installed at the Plocan test site with full exposure to open ocean conditions in a bid to demonstrate the efficiency of the innovative structural design and mooring system.
The pan-European Pivotbuoy consortium includes leading companies EDP NEW, DNV, Intecsea, ESM and Degima, as well as research centres WavEC, Plocan and DTU.
The 1:3 scale prototype is fitted with a Vestas V29 turbine and will be stationed at a 50-metre water depth through a single point mooring system in a downwind configuration.
This will create a ‘weathervaning’ solution which maximises use of passive systems, the developer said.
X1 Wind chief technology officer and co-founder Carlos Casanovas said the team is thrilled to reach PivotBuoy’s deployment phase following several years of intense work.
He said: “We are immensely grateful to our project partners who have all played an instrumental role, with careful planning and preparation to ensure the X30 prototype’s successful assembly and load-out.
“Portside testing of all subsystems will be performed over the coming weeks, before PivotBuoy is installed in the Plocan test site and connected via a dynamic 20kV cable, later progressing to the commissioning phase – the timing of which will be determined by environmental conditions.
“Construction of the X30 Platform was completed last November by DEGIMA in Santander, before being shipped in different segments to Gran Canaria.
Structural assembly was managed entirely onshore at Hidramar Shipyard, Las Palmas, using regular LTM mobile cranes and local equipment.
“Throughout the process we were able to mobilise and engage local supply chains, which is a key feature of our future fabrication and deployment plan for full-scale units.”