RWE Renewables and Saitec Offshore Technologies have awarded Spanish infrastructure giant Ferrovial the manufacturing and assembly contract for the 2MW DemoSATH floating wind platform that is slated to be installed off Spain in 2022.

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.

“We are pleased to see that the DemoSATH project is entering the manufacturing phase now and making good progress towards offshore installation in 2022,” RWE Renewables chief operating officer Sven Utermöhlen said.

“We see great potential for floating wind farms worldwide - especially in countries with deeper coastal waters, where this opens up attractive opportunities.”

“As part of this large-scale demonstration project, we are gaining experience with an innovative concrete-based platform technology that will help us to position ourselves in this growth market.”

Saitec in August had switched on a 30kW prototype of its SATH (swinging around twin hull) concept, a two-pontoon concrete platform anchored to the seabed with a single point mooring that allows it to ‘weathervane’ in the wind and waves.

Construction of the larger DemoSATH platform will start next month in the Port of Bilbao in northern Spain, under strict health and safety rules to protect against Covid-19.

RWE – the world’s second largest offshore wind operator – will finance part of the project costs. The German utility said it is also testing other technology options for floating wind off the Norwegian coast and the in the US.

Saitec chief technology officer David Carrascosa said his company plans to rapidly advance its SATH technology 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 construction manager Alberto Val added: “This is Ferrovial's first floating offshore wind project and it represents a great opportunity to add value to the project, based on our experience in marine construction and landmark pre-stressed concrete structures.

“Moreover, this project has a large innovation component, not only because of the materials but also because of the manufacturing and assembly processes that it will develop.”

The base of the DemoSATH structure will be approximately 30 meters wide and 64 meters long. The platform, including the turbine, will be towed to its anchorage point in a test field 2 miles off the coast at a depth of 85 meters.

Wind

Spanish industrial giant Ferrovial to build floating wind demo platform for RWE and Saitec