RWE and Saitec have announced a collaboration to conduct enhanced environmental monitoring at the 2MW DemoSATH floating offshore wind project off the coast of Spain through a new DemoSATH Lab initiative.
Operational since September 2023, the DemoSATH turbine, located off the Basque coast, is providing valuable insights into the challenges of operating floating wind technology in the open sea. The DemoSATH Lab initiative, a joint effort by Spanish engineering firm Saitec Offshore Technologies and German developer RWE, will further investigate the environmental interactions of the project.
The research will examine the platform's impact on the environment, focusing on bird interactions, underwater noise emissions, and marine life behavior around the structure. The program is scheduled to run until at least the end of 2025 to cover various seasons and weather conditions.
“The knowledge acquired, based on the experience in DemoSATH Lab, will allow Saitec Group to improve the ecological fit of SATH technology and develop floating offshore wind projects respectful to the marine environment,” said Javier Del Real, head of environment and stakeholder engagement at Saitec.
The study will utilize data from the DTBird monitoring system installed at the DemoSATH platform. The system aims to enhance understanding of bird interactions with floating offshore turbines and improve avian detection algorithms.
An underwater noise monitoring system has also been deployed for the operational phase of the project. Data will be compared to baseline underwater noise profiles measured before installation and during commissioning to better understand the noise impact of floating wind installations.
Additionally, a Remotely Operated Vehicle will periodically observe marine life interactions with the DemoSATH substructure, moorings, anchors, and power cables. This will provide insights into the presence, abundance, and behavior of various marine species around the floating wind turbine.
Martin Dörnhöfer, director of floating wind at RWE Offshore Wind GmbH, highlighted the significance 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. This will help us to ensure our future development of floating offshore wind is undertaken in coexistence with nature.”
