DONG Energy Orders Second Floating LiDAR Device

Following five months of successful, high availability offshore operation of their first device, DONG Energy has just placed an order for the latest version of FLiDAR’s floating lidar wind measurement equipment.

In recent weeks, the first FLiDAR device has measured wind speeds of over 25 m/s (10 minute average) for sustained periods and survived max. waves estimated at over 7m in height.

The second device, which incorporates numerous upgrades, will be delivered in early March 2014 for a one year measurement campaign in the Irish Sea. Floating lidar technology is rapidly proving itself to be a valid commercial alternative to fixed met masts for offshore wind measurements.

Hugh Yendole at DONG Energy said: “Investment in a second floating LIDAR, to be installed in March next year, once again shows DONG Energy’s determination to make the most of new technologies to drive down the cost of electricity by providing even better information for our development and investment decisions.”

The General Manager of FLiDAR, Bruce Douglas, said: “We are delighted that DONG Energy has confidence in our technology and offshore operations. FLiDAR aims to continue delivering highly accurate, reliable and cost effective wind measurements to them over the coming years.”

The FLiDAR measurement buoy is a floating LiDAR based system which represents a major break-through for the offshore wind industry enabling dramatic cost reductions for offshore wind resource assessments. It has been developed by 3E, global renewable energy consultancy and software services provider, and Offshore & Wind Assistance (OWA), the subsidiary of marine contractor Geosea focussing on Operations and Maintenance.

It consists of a marine buoy equipped with a state-of-the-art buoy-adapted LEOSPHERE WINDCUBE®v2 LiDAR secured on top of it. The FLiDAR is designed and built to withstand harsh offshore conditions and has been proven to deliver high quality, reliable wind measurement data at significantly lower costs than a standard offshore measurement mast. It has been validated in real offshore conditions by third party consultants against a fixed offshore lidar (DTU- North Sea in 2011) and an offshore met mast (Frazer Nash and GLGH – Irish Sea 2013 as part of the Carbon Trust trials). It has been shown to deliver 10 minute horizontal wind speed and direction data with equivalent accuracy of a fixed met mast.

Press release, November 18, 2013; Image: FLiDAR