DemoSATH

DemoSATH - BIMEP Wind Farm Profile

Location

The DemoSATH floating offshore wind turbine is located at the BiMEP (Biscay Marine Energy Platform) testing area, approximately 2 miles off the coast of Armintza in the Basque Country, Spain. The site is in the Bay of Biscay, with a water depth of 85 meters.

Project Partners

The DemoSATH project is a collaborative effort between several key partners:

• Saitec Offshore Technologies: The Spanish engineering firm leading the project and developing the SATH technology.
• RWE Offshore Wind: The German energy company contributing to the project.
• Kansai Electric Power (KEPCO): The Japanese company involved in the project.

Technology and Design

• Platform Type: The DemoSATH project utilizes SATH (Swinging Around Twin Hull) technology, a concrete-based floating platform designed by Saitec Offshore Technologies. This platform features a single point mooring design and hybrid mooring lines composed of chains and fiber, anchored to the seabed.
• Turbine Capacity: The project includes a single 2-megawatt (MW) wind turbine, which was assembled in the port of Bilbao.

Installation and Commissioning

• Installation: The DemoSATH platform was installed offshore at the BiMEP testing area in August 2023.
• Commissioning: The project achieved its first power generation in September 2023, marking the beginning of a two-year operational period to gather data on the platform's behavior and its interaction with the ecosystem.

Energy Production and Impact

• Energy Generation: The 2 MW turbine is capable of generating enough electricity to cover the annual energy demand of approximately 2,000 to 2,500 Spanish households.
• Grid Connection: The generated electricity is transmitted into the electrical grid through the BiMEP substation, contributing to Spain's energy mix as the first floating offshore wind turbine connected to the Spanish grid.

Monitoring and Research

• Operational Monitoring: The platform is equipped with a comprehensive monitoring system to provide feedback on structural health, platform dynamics, wind turbine performance, and other engineering aspects. This includes specialized tools for identifying birds and bats, as well as systems for monitoring marine ecosystem biodiversity.
• Data Collection: The two-year operational period aims to validate the SATH technology, compare real-time data with existing models, and identify areas for optimization. A research project agreement with France Energy Marine (FEM) involves the development of a digital twin for in-depth monitoring and comparison of simulation models with real-time measurements.

Environmental and Social Aspects

• Environmental Impact: The project includes the evaluation of environmentally friendly solutions to support marine biodiversity and enhance fishing resources in floating offshore wind farms. Monitoring activities focus on the local marine ecosystem, including crustacean communities, other invertebrates, fish, and cetaceans.
• Community Engagement: Saitec has concentrated on engaging stakeholders and developing a communication strategy with the local community and society at large.

Future Developments

• GEROA Project: While the DemoSATH project itself is not planned for expansion, Saitec is working on the pre-commercial GEROA (Green Energy Research for Offshore Atlantic) project. This project aims to demonstrate the technical, economic, and environmental feasibility of SATH technology using turbines of greater power (15-16 MW) and is expected to be the first wind farm offshore Spain with three to five turbines. The GEROA project is currently in the environmental impact study development phase and is planned to come into operation in September 2027.

Milestones and Significance

• Milestones: The project marks several significant milestones, including being the first floating offshore wind turbine connected to the Spanish grid, the fifth European floating technology with a turbine over 1 MW installed in open sea, and the third concrete-based technology to reach this level of development.
• Industry Impact: DemoSATH is seen as a demonstration of the feasibility and viability of floating offshore wind technology, potentially encouraging additional investments and developments in the renewable energy sector in Spain and worldwide.