RWE Innogy, in partnership with the operator of Eneco Luchterduinen offshore wind farm, has successfully completed the trial of an offshore buoy for measuring wind and wave data in the Netherlands.
The floating measuring platform demonstrably fulfilled the requirements with regard to availability and accuracy. For the purpose of testing further technical configurations with various manufacturers, an additional floating LiDAR was installed off the Dutch coast mid-March. The research project’s objective is to develop a cost-effective alternative to fixed met masts. Floating LiDAR systems are expected to only cost 10 to 20 per cent of a conventional measuring mast. The newly launched trial is part of the validation trials of floating LiDAR, that were recently commenced by the Offshore Wind Accelerator. In 2014, RWE Innogy and Eneco jointly tested the floating measuring platform manufactured by Fugro OCEANOR, which was installed some 75 kilometres off IJmuiden in the Dutch North Sea, in the immediate vicinity of an offshore met mast operated by RWE Innogy. The buoy manufactured by EOLOS mainly differs from the technology tested in 2014 in terms of dimension, power supply and the mooring system. An independent data analyst will analyse data on wind speed and direction for over six months.