15 september 2020 saw the re-installation of the container part of our Blue Accelerator maritime test platform on its monopile, near the coastline of Ostend.
On August 19, the container was being brought onshore and since then, work was being done to upgrade the existing technical installation and to install new equipment.
Blue Accelerator 2.0
Upgrades include among others improvements of the power facilites, new solar panels, additional sensors and telecommunication equipment and an improved safety infrastructure.
These works were carried out by several contractors:
Soete Technical Services and Aquanav designed and installed a fully autonomous power supply
Multitech did the necessary welding, drilling and painting.
These upgrades make Blue Accelerator a state of the art offshore test platform and ready to meet all kinds of requirements as part of offshore testing projects.
The installation required meticulous work
The container was transported on a pontoon from the port of Ostend, towed by two tugboats.
From this pontoon, two cranes brought the container into the right position to fix it on the monopile.
The installation of the platform offshore was co-ordinated by Soetaert NV, part of Jan De Nul Group.
With the support of the people from All works at Heigth, specialists in work using industrial rope access techniques, the container could be fixed to the monopile.
Suitable for all kinds of offshore testing
Thanks to the upgrades carried out on behalf of POM West Flanders, the partners of the Blue Accelerator project, such as Flanders Marine Institute or VIVES University can now offer services for developers on the test platform in optimal conditions
As maritime innovation and development platform, Blue Accelerator is, more than ever, ready to welcome and accompany research centers, companies and other organisations to set up offshore testing.
Operated by POM West Flanders, the Blue Accelerator test platform is financially supported by the European Regional Development Fund and the Province of West Flanders.
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