Page 24 - Industrial Plant 2020

additional service that Saipem could provide to its usual well as hydroturbines of different types. Their state of the
Oil&Gas clients, allowing the latter to reduce their art hydroturbine is the GEMStar. This technology uses
operating costs by embracing a more sustainable two contra-rotating turbines driven by slow-moving water
source of energy. Further hybrid applications are flows, namely river, tidal or water currents, which are
envisaged as a source of clean energy to recharge mounted on a floating system linked to the seabed by
Saipem’s Hydrone fleet, our most advanced series of means of a tether. The GEMStar floats around 15m
underwater ROVs, the first fully unmanned and below water surface, where the current speed is generally
autonomous. maximum, unlike that of most of its competitors which
Saipem is currently involved with the transportation and rests on the seabed where it encounters the lowest
installation of a WEC from EMEC site on the Orkney current speed and the high foulage effect from debris.
Islands to the BiMEP site in the Basque Country. The distance from sea surface allows the device to avoid
Saipem will also take care of the installation of the the effect of waves, unlike the solution of other
mooring equipment and electrical cable. competitors whose hydroturbine is mounted below the
There are also further initiatives under discussion with hull of a floating body. The tether allows the device to
important clients in both Asia and Europe. self-orientate, avoiding expensive submarine foundations;
it also enables the hydroturbine to be installed within a
wide range of water depths, as the length of the tether
Seapower can be adjusted according to needs. On releasing the
SeaPower scrl is a spin-off of Federico II University of anchorage cable, the system can pop-up for easy
Naples. The company develops both wind turbines as maintenance.

IndustrIal Plants - May 2020
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