MAATS Tech have recently completed engineering and project support on the successful and innovative SENSEWind Self Erecting Nacelle and Service System.

Industry experts since its inception in 1989 as Maritime Audit and Technical Services, MAATS Tech is a British marine engineering consultancy well-known for their work and experience in specialist ship design for new-build or conversion. Core competencies are centred on dynamically positioned special purpose vessels for diverse operations in subsea construction, diving, cable laying and flexible pipe laying. However, the engineering processes and the skill sets of MAATS talented engineers mean that the company is primed to offer consultancy services to a wide range of engineering challenges.

The partnership with SENSEWind consisted of the development in a range of concepts that explored the available options to solve the physical and mechanical challenges of SENSEWind's base concept.

MAATS Tech worked alongside SENSEWind and other industry partners to develop a design that reflected the vision of the client whilst maintaining flexibility to rapidly adapt the design to an evolving specification. CEO of SENSEWind, Patrick Geraets remarks on the partnership, "MAATS played a key role in the detail design for manufacture of the SENSE system. The success of the demonstrator was in part thanks to the efforts of the MAATS team who delivered the project under extremely challenging circumstances, both technically and due to the restrictions imposed by the current global pandemic which necessitated providing remote support during assembly, commissioning and testing.”

Throughout the development process MAATS Tech supported SENSEWind with concept and detail design engineering, FEA of the carriage, modification to tower and ground interface and drafting of manufacturing drawings, as well as supporting with manufacturing selection, procurement and software production.

MAATS Technical Director, Will Gibby commented, "MAATS have enjoyed a constructive and innovative relationship with SENSEWind, the engineering has been interesting as it is not what MAATS are typically known for and it has given us a fantastic opportunity to be creative. MAATS will continue to watch with interest the journey of the system into the marketplace."

The next step for SENSEWind is to refine the SENSE system design at its test site in Northern Ireland. Information and experience from this testing phase will be used to scale up to a multi MW demonstrator, proving the SENSE system on a commercial machine and spearheading entry to the turbine installation market.

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: MAATS Tech