PivotBuoy and X1Wind floating platform under construction

In March, the PivotBuoy mooring system and floating platform design phase was completed and the design was approved by the consortium partners at the Detailed Design Review meeting held at X1Wind offices in Barcelona. After the design was closed, the manufacturing of the PivotBuoy and the floating platform started at DEGIMA facilities in Santander. The manufacturing of the platform is to be finished during August, and it will be transported to its final destination in Gran Canaria after the summer.

For the whole platform, the design has been divided in several subsystems that take into account the handling and transport of each of them. This division will allow the project to avoid high shipment costs on both stages of the transportation: first, from DEGIMA facilities to Santander port, and then from Santander to the Canary Islands.

All subsystems will undergo non-destructive tests to ensure maximum quality before they are ready. So far, the outcome of the tests has been very positive. Additionally, to verify that all the pieces fit correctly before transport to Gran Canaria, the full platform will be pre-assembled at DEGIMA facilities, significantly reducing the risk of costly delays due to unexpected manufacturing tolerance errors during the final assembly.

Carlos Casanovas, CTO of X1WIND and technical coordinator of PivotBuoy said:

“One of the main challenges of manufacturing has been to maintain the schedule during the COVID19 Pandemic. Within the project, we have worked with suppliers from all over the world, making coordination a challenge. With all of us forced to transition to remote work, and the adaptation process this entails on many fronts, it has not been possible to maintain the original schedule. We expect, however, to deliver the finished platform within a reasonable timeline.

The PivotBuoy Project aims to validate the benefits of the PivotBuoy system, An Advanced System for Cost-effective and Reliable Mooring, Connection, Installation & Operation of Floating Wind. This will be done by testing a part-scale platform with a Vestas V29 turbine adapted in a downwind configuration and grid-connected to PLOCAN test site in the Canary Islands.

The Consortium is formed by nine partners from five different countries: X1Wind, ESM, WavEC, PLOCAN, INTECSEA, EDP, DTU, DNV GL, and DEGIMA. The project officially started in April 2019 and will last for 36 months.

For further information about the project you can visit the project’s website:

www.pivotbuoy.eu or follow us on Twitter (@pivotbuoy) or LinkedIn.