The BlueSATH floating wind turbine prototype has been installed and commissioned at its site offshore Santander, Spain.
Saitec Offshore Technologies set off the turbine towing operation from Astander’s Dock Pontejos towards the final destination 800 meters away from the Cantabrian coast.
According to the company, the already-laid mooring lines were retrieved from the seabed and the platform hook-up was accomplished in less than three hours. The commissioning was then completed and the turbine is ready to operate.
The 1:6 prototype of the BlueSATH (Swinging Around Twin Hull) turbine will operate for a period of 12 months after which it will be completely decommissioned.
The main objectives of the project cover the SATH platform validation of its response and dynamic behavior. The aim is to obtain models that allow for structural optimization, enabling cost reduction and validating structural turbine integrity.
Obtained results and findings will be applied in the 2 MW DemoSATH full-scale model to be installed on the Basque Marine Energy Platform (BIMEP) next year.