RWE and Saitec Offshore Technologies have initiated a new phase of environmental monitoring studies at the DemoSATH floating offshore wind project off the Basque coast. This project is providing insights into the operational challenges of floating wind turbines in open sea conditions.
The collaboration, under the DemoSATH Lab initiative, aims to conduct environmental monitoring around the DemoSATH platform. The studies will focus on the impact on bird life, underwater noise emissions, and interactions between marine life and the wind turbine structure. The research will continue until at least the end of 2025, encompassing various seasons and weather conditions.
Martin Dornhofer, Director of Floating Wind at RWE Offshore Wind, highlighted the importance of the project: “Through the DemoSATH project, we are gaining first-hand experience in the deployment and operations of floating offshore wind technology on the open sea. The DemoSATH Lab research will help us to increase our understanding of key biodiversity aspects of floating offshore wind turbines, such as underwater noise and bird interactions during operation.”
The research utilizes data from the DTBird monitoring system installed at the DemoSATH platform. This system aims to enhance understanding of bird interactions with floating wind turbines and to improve bird detection algorithms. An underwater noise monitoring system has also been established to compare operational noise with baseline measurements taken before and during commissioning. This comparison will shed light on the overall noise impact of the project.
Additionally, a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) will periodically observe marine life interactions with the DemoSATH substructure, moorings, anchors, and power cables. These observations will provide insights into the presence, abundance, and behavior of various marine species around the floating wind turbine.
The DemoSATH platform, situated 2 miles off the Basque coast at the Biscay Marine Energy Platform (BiMEP) testing area in Armintza, features a 2-megawatt turbine installed in September 2023. It is capable of generating electricity equivalent to the annual consumption of approximately 2,000 Spanish households. This project marks the introduction of floating offshore wind technology into Spain’s energy mix.
The success of the DemoSATH project is attributed to the combined expertise of its partners: Saitec Offshore Technologies, which developed the SATH technology; RWE, with its extensive offshore wind sector experience; and Kansai Electric Power (KEPCO), with its energy market knowledge.