Saitec to test grid-connected 2-MW floating wind turbine in Spanish waters

Spanish engineering firm Saitec Offshore Technologies said today it will install a floating wind foundation holding a 2-MW turbine for testing purposes off the coast of Spain’s Basque Country.

Saitec has signed a contract with Spanish public company Biscay Marine Energy Platform (BiMEP) to secure a test spot in open waters. BiMEP operates an open-sea test site off the Basque coast.

The project, named DemoSATH, will revolve around testing and analysing the behaviour of the floating wind foundation under real operational and extreme conditions.

The unit will use SATH, or Swinging Around Twin Hull, technology. As Saitec explained, SATH is based on a twin hull made of modularly prefabricated and then braced concrete elements. The float can align itself around a single point of mooring following wind and wave patterns.

DemoSATH will be the first such structure connected to the Spanish grid, the firm said.

The foundation will be around 30 metres (98.4 ft) wide and about 67 metres long, including the 2-MW turbine. It will be assembled in the port of Bilbao and towed to the BiMEP site two miles (3.22 km) off the coast, where sea depth reaches 85 metres.

The pilot project will take three and a half years to complete, 18 months of which will be spent on planning and construction of the unit. The operating phase will last for two years.

Saitec expects to commence marine operations by the end of 2021. Upon its connection to the grid, the DemoSATH turbine will be set to generate enough electricity to power close to 2,000 homes.

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