SSwiFT

SSwiFT Wind aims to revolutionize offshore wind resource assessment by developing a modular floating LiDAR system (LMS) that integrates both scanning and vertical LiDAR technologies, combining the strengths of each. The project places particular emphasis on overcoming the challenges of operating scanning LiDAR on buoys, including the assimilation of LiDAR data into advanced numerical models. This approach will provide unprecedented insights into offshore wind conditions and enhance predictions of turbulence intensity, power output, and wake effects.

SWE’s contribution to the project is the deployment of the “USTUTT-FSL” (Floating Scanning LiDAR developed at the University of Stuttgart), a compact, lightweight, and energy-efficient scanning LiDAR optimized for buoy integration. The ultimate goal is a six- to nine-month at-sea measurement campaign to systematically compare its performance with established LiDAR systems and to support further validation and industrial adoption.