?Exciting Progress: PLOTEC Fabrication Advances at the Shipyard
Good afternoon!
We are thrilled about the progress of PLOTEC, an EU-funded project building a storm-resistant floating structure for Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC). Our team is closely involved in the project at the shipyard in Gran Canaria, Spain, where we are witnessing significant advancements. We can't wait for the prototype installation and testing in the Atlantic Ocean in the coming months.?As the technology developers leading this initiative, we are focused on providing tropical islands facing severe weather conditions, such as hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones, with a more resilient OTEC platform. This will ensure that electricity supply is less affected during adverse weather conditions.
This month, the progress in the yard was significant, as we have gone from having a construction foundation to having our first level of the platform near completion. This has involved plasma cutting over 660 steel plates ranging from 6mm to 65mm, some of these plates have required further operations such as rolling or waterjet cutting. Assembling the structure is proceeding at an accelerating pace as each of the plates is prepared for welding, mounted onto the keel to check for fitment, and then welded into its final position and the welds tested for defects. This portion of the project is time-consuming, as the keel contains many plates; requiring multiple passes of welds to ensure structural integrity while minimising the risk of warping the structure due to the added heat of the weld. ?The mooring padeyes are currently being machined prior to welding to ensure a strong connection is made with the keel.
Once the keel plate has been completed, it is expected that the rate of progress will increase as many of the more intricate welds will have been completed and the assembly of the cylindrical shells onto the keel can begin. The video below shows the moment the inner and outer shells of the structure were delivered.
Stay tuned for more updates as we progress on OTEC developments!
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