project specs

FloatMast® is an unmanned mini-Tension Leg Platform equipped with a 40m met mast and a LiDAR. It conducts IEC compliant offshore wind measurements monitoring at 50% to 80% lower cost than a fixed met mast at a cost of 2,5 m Euros.

It can be deployed from 1 year to 20 years at any depth greater than 30 meters with any type of sea bed. It can be re-deployed to other sites. It is a floating platform attached to a concrete anchorage via wireropes and elastomeric bearings.

FloatMastBlue was the only Blue Growth project selected for funding in the June 2017 round of the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument Phase 2, with an EU Contribution, 2.048.568 €.

The floating structure is composed of:

  • the submerged buoyant structure fixed to sea bed via four tension wire legs (upper point is 5m below the average sea level)
  • the central pylon connecting the submerged component with the upper structure (platform)
  • the upper structure (platform) that is at a height of 10m above average sea level
  • the self-supporting lattice meteorological mast that is founded on the platform centre

The Tension Leg Platform is in use for more than 40 years in the Offshore Oil and Gas industry. FloatMast® uses this type of platform by scaling it down to a mini- TLP level size. It is a stable platform with tilting angles of less than 2 degrees for the 50 year period significant wave height and can survive at least double that size wave height. The platform’s naval concept design is certified by the Paris Offshore Department of Bureau Veritas.

The platform is assembled in the dock site with bolted connections, can be transported by standard size containers and can be fully prefabricated. FloatMast® platform can perform wind measurements, power curve verification and wind resource assessment that comply with: IEC 61400-12-1 IEA Recommended Practices RP15 MEASNET site assessment. It measures wind speed and turbulence intensity with cup and sonic anemometers up to 40 m, wind shear with LiDAR up to 200 m, and wind direction with wind vanes. It has 99,9% data availability due to the reliable and robust cup anemometers and conducts continuous LiDAR– cup anemometers calibration through common measurement heights.