Scottish Power Renewables helps to launch world’s largest sea-trials of floating ‘met-masts’

Scottish Power Renewables is one of three developers taking part in the world’s largest validation trials of floating light detection and ranging technology (LiDAR), launched in the North Sea yesterday.

Up to five different offshore wind measurement devices will be subjected to an extensive testing and validation against the state-of-the-art meteorological masts at three North Sea Round 3 sites.

If successfully-validated in the three-year trial, LiDAR could be up to 90% less expensive than traditional met-masts.

This is the latest project from the Offshore Wind Accelerator – the Carbon Trust’s research and development programme with w-industry. The OWA is part funded by the Scottish Government.and the UK Dept. for Energy (DECC). The Carbon Trust is a private sector company

RWE, Mainstream Renewable Power and Scottish Power Renewables have made their North Sea offshore sites, IJmuiden, Neart na Gaoithe, off Angus, and East Anglia, respectively, available to suppliers of floating offshore wind measurement devices for testing and validation of measurement data.

As part of the campaign, the floating LiDAR suppliers will receive access to the site location, data from the meteorological mast, in addition to an analysis of the floating LiDAR captured data in comparison to the met masts by an independent third party.

Megan Smith, Project Manager, Carbon Trust, explained: “This is a very exciting project for the OWA as the commercialisation of floating LiDAR could lead to cap-ex savings of up to 90% when compared to the cost of installing a meteorological mast, as well as additional op-ex savings.”

“It is critical that suppliers can demonstrate they have achieved a significant body of validation data to increase confidence in this technology. This will bring suppliers closer to commercialisation of their products and will result in increased competition in the developing market for floating LiDAR units.”