DemoSATH manufacturing contract awarded

Ferrovial has been selected to manufacture and assemble the SATH floating platform in the DemoSATH project led by Saitec Offshore Technologies in collaboration with RWE Renewables. The construction package will last 14 months and covers site preparation, concrete precasting, procurement of steel bulkheads and assembly of the floater along with management of the supply chain.

David Carrascosa, chief technology officer at Saitec Offshore Technologies, said: “Our ambition is to rapidly advance towards commercial production. DemoSATH is therefore not only proving the technical feasibility of the SATH technology, but is also demonstrating how these structures can be mass produced. Ferrovial is the perfect partner to rely on and to ensure we meet our objectives.”

First for Spain

The DemoSATH project will deploy the first multi-megawatt floating offshore wind turbine connected to the Spanish grid.

The SATH Technology floater is based on a twin hull, made of modularly prefabricated and subsequently braced concrete elements. It can align itself around a single point of mooring depending to the wind and wave direction.

For the prototype, the structure and the 2MW wind turbine will be assembled in Spain’s Port of Bilbao, with work starting this month. The platform, including the turbine, will be towed to its anchorage point in a test field (BIMEP) two miles off the coast at a depth of 85m.

The unit is expected to go into operation early 2022.

By Rebecca Jeffrey