Saitec and Saitec Offshore Technologies have joined forces to develop LIFTCTRL, a research project focused on creating a LIDAR-based intelligent feedback turbine control (CTRL) system. This initiative aims to advance floating offshore wind technology through the design of a new, data-driven control methodology specifically optimized for floating platforms.
Floating offshore wind is rapidly emerging as a key enabler in the global energy transition. As nearshore locations suitable for bottom-fixed turbines become scarce, floating technology unlocks vast wind resources located in deeper waters. This shift not only increases renewable generation capacity but also minimizes visual and acoustic impacts, as floating wind farms are situated far from coastal habitats and human activity.
New challenges: adapting control to floating motion
Unlike fixed-foundation turbines, floating wind turbines face new control challenges due to additional degrees of freedom in movement and rotation. These motions, driven by ocean dynamics, introduce complexities that conventional fixed-wind controllers cannot manage. To address this, LIFTCTRL will design and test an intelligent control system integrating real-time LIDAR measurements, enabling more stable, efficient, and adaptive turbine operation.
Through this project, Saitec and Saitec Offshore will build an integrated simulation environment for coupled turbine models, incorporating advanced controller extensions and LIDAR data processing. The outcome will deliver valuable insights into how control design influences turbine loads, structural stability, and overall energy production.
Project objectives
LIFTCTRL focuses on two research goals:
- Development of an advanced floating wind controller: tailored for Saitec Offshore’s SATH floating platform technology to optimize performance while studying the effects of control strategies on turbine loads and energy yield.
- Creation of new methodologies for LIDAR data analysis and correction, leveraging real operational data from the DemoSATH floating turbine demonstrator to refine motion compensation algorithms and improve power curve accuracy.
Strategic value
For Saitec, leading the control design phase represents a pioneering opportunity to develop a virtual controller based on real LIDAR data, a first in the offshore wind industry. The company’s Industry and Energy Division will apply its expertise in automation and control to design advanced algorithms that enhance the stability and performance of floating turbine systems.
For Saitec Offshore Technologies, participation in LIFTCTRL strengthens its understanding of hydrodynamic behavior and control performance of SATH platforms under varying environmental conditions. The project will expand the company’s knowledge base in turbine-platform interaction, boosting the technical potential of future floating wind developments. Saitec Offshore will oversee the hydrodynamic and data post-processing analyses.
Towards a smarter offshore wind
By advancing control intelligence through real-time environmental sensing, LIFTCTRL will help make floating offshore wind farms safer, more efficient, and easier to deploy at commercial scale. This innovation supports global decarbonization efforts by accelerating the replacement of fossil-based electricity generation with stable, high-yield renewable power from deep-sea environments.
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