Offshore staff
LISBON, Portugal – WindFloat Atlantic, the first semisubmersible floating wind farm, is fully operational, according to partner Repsol.
This follows the connection of the last of the three platforms to the 20-km (12.4-mi) export cable linked to the substation at Viana do Castelo, Portugal.
The development, with a total installed capacity of 25 MW, is designed to generate energy to supply around 60,000 users per year, and follows a decade-long project by the Windplus joint venture of EDP Renewables (54.4%), ENGIE (25%), Repsol (19.4%), and Principle Power (1.2%).
Each of the three platforms is 30 m (98.4 ft) tall with a 50-m (164-ft) distance between columns. Each accommodates an 8.4-MW turbine, claimed to be the largest installed to date on a floating platform.
According to Repsol, WindFloat’s mooring technology allows for installation in waters more than 100 m (328 ft) deep. The design is said to ensure stability in adverse weather/sea conditions.
Two of the platforms were manufactured at shipyards in Setúbal, Portugal, while the other was constructed in Avilés and Fene, Spain. Use of dry-dock assembly brought significant logistical and financial savings, Repsol added, and the platforms were towed using standard (instead of specialized) tug boats.
The company claimed the model could be replicated in other areas where adverse seabed conditions or significant water depth rule out traditional bottom-fixed offshore wind technology.
07/27/2020
