Pilot project begins for floating wind turbines

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RWE Renewables and Saitec Offshore Technologies have teamed up to develop a floating platform for offshore wind turbines.

The two companies plan to test new approaches to the affordable installation and operation of wind farms in deep waters. They have launched a joint pilot project called ‘DemoSATH’ that will lead to testing of a floating platform next year off Spain’s Basque Coast.

The SATH technology is based on a twin hull made of modular prefabricated concrete elements that are subsequently braced. The objective of the project is to collect data and gain real-life knowledge from the construction, operation and maintenance of the unit. The pilot project will last 3.5 years: 18 months for the planning and construction, followed by a two-year operating phase.

The structure and the 2MW wind turbine will be assembled in the port of Bilbao. The base of the structure will be approximately 30m wide and 64m long. The platform including the turbine will be towed to its anchorage point in a test field two miles off the coast, where the sea is about 85m deep. Hybrid mooring lines, composed by chains and fibre, anchored to the seabed will hold the floating body in position. The plant is expected to go into operation in the third quarter of 2021. The electricity generated during the project will be fed into the Spanish power grid.

DemoSATH will be Saitec Offshore’s second project in open waters, as the deployment of a scaled 1:6 model off the coast of Santander is scheduled for April this year.

Akzo Releases Update on Spray-Painting Drone

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AkzoNobel recently released an update on its partnership with Apellix, Jacksonville, Florida, which won the 2019 Paint the Future challenge, for their collaboration on a computer-controlled spray-painting drone.

According to the company, Apellix’s custom-built drone is tethered to the ground for its power and coating supply, however, its flies autonomously.
The drone uses “unique software flight control,” which the companies say can more accurately apply coatings and capture painting data.

While drones fly really well, robots perform repetitive tasks easily, Apellix has been able to combine the best of both worlds.

“Building upon our software-controlled robots that make contact with a structure to take steel and paint thickness measurements, we’ve attached a specially designed spray-painting system to a custom drone controlled by computers, commented Robert Dahlstrom, Apellix Founder and CEO.

The application aims for benefits such as reduced application time and less waste, as well as increases safety.

“Developing a drone is easy,” said Michael Hindmarsh, AkzoNobel Venture Lead. “Spraying paint is relatively easy too. But developing a computer-controlled drone that can spray paint is actually quite challenging. A lot of skill and expertise has to go into getting the drone to apply a good quality coating in a consistent and reproducible manner. That’s where our collaboration comes in.