Spain’s first-ever floating offshore wind turbine has just officially come online to connect to the Spanish grid and generate renewable energy.
The pilot program, widely referred to as the “DemoSATH” project, has a 2 MW turbine that can support the electricity demand of approximately 2,000 households per year, Electrek reported.
DemoSATH project details
DemoSATH apparently features a 96-meter (315 feet) rotor diameter. The companies behind this project installed the floating offshore wind turbine two miles off the Basque coast last month.
It is apparently the fifth offshore wind turbine with more than 1 MW capacity in the sea in entire Europe. It also marks the region’s third concrete-based technology to advance in this development phase.
It features innovative tools to determine flying species like birds, bats, and those under the sea, like invertebrates, fish, cetaceans, and crustaceans. It will offer data on the species’ behavior around the wind turbine.
The companies will collect the data from this pilot project for the following two years, the report stated.
Project proponents
Spain-based engineering company Saitec Offshore Technologies leads the DemoSATH project with its major partners, including the German energy firm RWE Offshore Wind and Japan’s THE KANSAI ELECTRIC POWER CO., INC. (KEPCO).
In August, they developed the DemoSATH at the BiMEP testing area in Basque Country. Then, they immediately linked the current seabed cable to the motion-absorbing dynamic cable, EE Online reports.
After that, they finished the connection to the bow turret of the platform. With these significant developments, the project can now transmit generated power to the electrical grid via the BiMEP substation. It efficiently turns the wind force into renewable energy.
“The start of energy generation from DemoSATH marks a culmination in the project. 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.”
Saitec Offshore Technologies COO, David Carrascosa
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The DemoSATH project demonstrated the floating offshore wind technology’s potential to incorporate renewable energy into the country’s energy mix. The successful commissioning of the project is largely due to the combined efforts and expertise of the three companies behind it. Such initiatives can significantly aid the country’s shift to sustainable energy and mobility.
