Floating offshore wind project DemoSATH, led by the Spanish engineering firm Saitec Offshore Technologies, in collaboration with the German energy company RWE Offshore Wind and the Japanese company The Kansai Electtric Power Company (KEPCO) has begun electricity generation.
In August DemoSATH was installed offshore at the BiMEP testing area at Armintza in the Basque Country. Subsequently, the connection of the existing static seabed cable to the motion-absorbing dynamic cable, and the link to the platform’s bow turret was completed. This enables the transmission of the generated electricity into the electrical grid through the BiMEP substation, converting the force of the wind into clean renewable energy.
The DemoSATH platform, two miles off the Basque coast, has a turbine capable of generating up to 2MW of energy. Its annual production is equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of approximately 2000 Spanish households. As a result of this project, floating offshore wind technology is being introduced as a new renewable generation technology in Spain’s energy mix for the first time.
The commissioning marks the beginning of a two-year operational period to gather data about the behaviour of the SATH technology developed by Saitec and the monitoring of the systems installed on the platform to understand its interaction with the surrounding ecosystem.
Specialized tools for bird and bat identification have been installed, as well as systems for monitoring marine ecosystem biodiversity.
The start of energy generation from DemoSATH marks a culmination in the project,” said chief operations officer at Saitec David Carrascosa.
“We are proud of the work accomplished and of being the pioneers in Spain in providing renewable energy with a floating wind turbine.
This will be our testing ground to gain knowledge based on real-world experience and apply it in future larger-scale projects.”
Chief executive of RWE Offshore Wind Sven Utermöhlen added: “We are glad to see that DemoSATH has been successfully commissioned.
“For us at RWE it is also another milestone on our way to unlock the great potential of floating wind globally, especially in countries with deeper coastal waters, like the US, France, UK, Norway and – certainly – Spain.
“Our ambition is to be a market leading floating wind player who safely develops, builds, and operates cost-competitive, commercial-scale floating wind projects around the world. Jointly with our other demonstration project, DemoSATH enables us to gain early experience for our future commercial-scale developments.
“Its unique concrete-based platform and single point mooring design further broadens our knowledge on innovative floating wind concepts.”
Executive director of the renewable energy division at KEPCO Kazumi Ogura added: “It is a great honour to reach this significant milestone as a member of the pioneering project.
“We would like to express our profound gratitude to the local community and numerous stakeholders for their cooperation and understanding.
“We are looking forward to applying the lessons learned from this project towards the advancement of a zero-carbon society.”