The BlueSATH floating wind turbine prototype has departed for installation offshore Santander in Spain, Saitec Offshore Technologies said.
Once installed, 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 scaled-down version has a hub height of 17.45m and weighs around 50t. The featured turbine model is an AE-30kW (Aeolos) with a rotor diameter of 15m.
The main objectives of the BlueSATH 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 real-scale model to be installed on the Basque Marine Energy Platform (BIMEP) next year.