A floating wind platform has been installed in Spain 50 meters into the water
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According to a press release acquired by IE on Friday, a floating wind platform has been successfully installed at the PLOCAN test site in the Canary Islands of Spain.
A suitable weather window
X1 Wind, the firm behind the platform, as well as partners from the EU-backed PivotBuoy Project took advantage of a suitable weather window to complete the installation process, connecting the fully-functional floating wind prototype to the mooring system and dynamic cable pre-installed last June.
“As installation work comes to a close another exciting chapter begins for X1 Wind as we prepare for operations to deliver first power to the PLOCAN smartgrid,” X1 Wind Operations Manager Jorge Casanovas said.
“Now successfully installed, we will begin monitoring the platform in real-time with multiple sensors integrated within our in-house SCADA system.”
The new wind platform has been fitted with a Vestas V29 turbine and stationed at a 50 meter water depth in a downwind configuration. This is just one of the steps taken to ensure that X1 Wind’s technology is highly scalable. This will enable the firm to provide platforms for the 15MW scale turbines and beyond and to deploy them at very deep sites.
“This is a key milestone for our company and for the floating wind sector in general being able to install a floating wind platform using a TLP mooring system and requiring only small vessels. This reduces not only the costs but also the impact on the seabed. Data obtained from the X30 will contribute to de-risk the technology, improve the design, and obtain the certification of our commercial-scale platforms in preparation for upcoming tenders in Spain and other countries worldwide,” X1 Wind CEO and Co-Founder Alex Raventos said.
Ambitious plans
X1 was recently selected by the European Commission to deliver the NextFloat project - an ambitious program accelerating industrial-scale floating wind aiming to install its first commercial-scale platform in the South of France.
After its installation is completed, the new project will be tested in fully operational conditions until March 2023 while continuing to feed the electricity it generates to PLOCAN’s smartgrid.
To achieve this amazing milestone X1 Wind worked with several companies including EDP NEW, DNV, INTECSEA, ESM and DEGIMA and world-class research centers WavEC, DTU and PLOCAN.
“The World is facing unprecedented challenges. Decarbonization through Renewable Generation will be key. The oceans and the sustainable exploration of offshore renewables are paramount for a greener, decarbonized world. Floating offshore wind has been slowly but steadily showing it is a growth avenue for renewables and promising technologies such as X1 Wind’s are the cornerstone for the grand challenge – to accelerate competitiveness of the sector. And we love to see these new projects / technologies coming to life,” said Executive Board Member of EDP NEW, João Maciel.
The new site is expected to soon start producing data that will provide vital support for the next development of the full-scale technology.
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