Funded with €2.9 million by ADEME as part of France 2030 (a French State Investment Plan) and in response to the DEMO Tase call for projects, the BATSO project aims to define and validate tools and methods for the replacement of major components in offshore wind turbines. These methods are intended to be less costly and more environmentally sustainable.
Currently, the replacement of major components in floating wind turbines (Major Components Replacement – MCR) is a complex operation that requires heavy lifting equipment and towing the turbines to port. The existing solutions are very expensive, both financially and environmentally.
The objective of this research project is to reduce the costs associated with the maintenance of floating wind turbines by performing these operations directly at sea. This will make floating wind energy more competitive in terms of Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE). To achieve this, the BATSO project looks towards a technology already used in onshore wind energy, namely lifting from a crane mounted on the nacelle and developing guiding solutions along the tower.
These offshore operations will help reduce the environmental impact of floating wind turbines. The carbon footprint savings and reduction in electricity costs compared to maintenance solutions requiring towing to port will be measured and quantified.
Finally, this project will showcase France’s technological leadership in the field of floating wind energy. Demonstrating the feasibility of MCR operations at sea as quickly as possible will strengthen the position of French stakeholders in the floating wind turbine heavy maintenance market.
Planned for three years, this research and development project brings together several industrial and academic players:
- BW Ideol, as the designer and builder of the Damping Pool® floating technology and maintenance provider.
- Centrale Nantes, for basin testing and designing cable robot system models.
- EDF Renewables, as a project developer, offshore wind farm operator, and maintenance provider.
- The OPEN-C Foundation, leader in offshore testing and operator of the proposed test site.
“The BATSO project lies at the heart of OPEN-C Foundation’s mission: testing to accelerate innovation! We are delighted to contribute our expertise in qualifying and monitoring complex environments to the development of environmentally cost-effective solutions for heavy maintenance in floating wind energy, benefiting unprecedented operations,” stated Bertrand Alessandrini, CEO of the OPEN-C Foundation.
