TetraSpar Floating Wind Demonstration Unit Completes Offshore Decommissioning

en.Wedoany.com Reported - As of September 8, the TetraSpar floating offshore wind demonstration unit has been disconnected from its mooring at the METCentre test site off Karmøy, Norway, and towed to Hanøytangen near Bergen, where it is currently in a temporary mooring state. The offshore decommissioning phase has been completed, and the next step will be to dismantle the 3.6 MW wind turbine at Semco Maritime's Hanøytangen yard, followed by the continued disassembly of the floating foundation structure.

The TetraSpar Demonstrator is jointly owned by Stiesdal Offshore, RWE, and TEPCO Renewable Power. Global Maritime is responsible for managing the offshore and onshore decommissioning of the project, while Semco Maritime undertakes the onshore dismantling work at the Hanøytangen yard. The defined scope of decommissioning includes the tow-out of the complete TetraSpar structure, temporary mooring, keel handling and deballasting, as well as the subsequent dismantling of the turbine, keel, and floater structure, along with material sorting and recycling.

The demonstration unit was installed in 2021 at the METCentre test site approximately 10 kilometers off the Norwegian coast, at a water depth of about 200 meters, equipped with a 3.6 MW wind turbine and secured by three mooring lines. The unit entered its operational phase in November 2021 and, over a demonstration period of nearly five years, generated close to 70 million kWh of electricity, achieving a combined capacity factor of 51.4% and an availability rate of 98%.

In March 2026, the project decided to conclude the approximately five-year demonstration operation in the summer of that year and proceed with decommissioning. Following the removal, the project team will inspect the underwater structures and components that have been long-term submerged in the North Sea environment, and the component data will be used for subsequent validation of the TetraSub floating foundation design. RWE has now updated the TetraSpar project status to reflect completion of decommissioning and return to port in the summer of 2026.