The two energy companies have an agreement to work together in the analysis and search for opportunities for offshore wind power in Spain, whose first auction will foreseeably be in the waters of the Islands.
Naturgy and Equinor are working together on the development of the Floating Offshore Wind Canarias (FOWCA) project, with which they want to apply for the installation of more than 200 MW of floating offshore wind power in the maritime area of ??eastern Gran Canaria.
The FOWCA project, which would be connected to the Barranco de Tirajana substation of Red Eléctrica Española, will be developed with semi-submersible floating platform technology that, among other advantages, allows the installation of structures farthest from the coast.
This offshore wind farm would reduce CO2 emissions equivalent to 350,000 cars per year. According to the study commissioned from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, it is estimated that the project could generate more than 2,500 jobs in all its phases, including direct, indirect and induced jobs.
The first offshore wind auction in Spain is expected to take place in the Canary Islands, since the region offers excellent wind conditions. Likewise, the Islands have a shipyard industry that could transform its activity from oil platforms to platforms for marine renewable energies, since part of the manufacturing and assembly could be carried out in local shipyards.
The objective of Naturgy and Equinor is to take into account all social, environmental and economic sensitivities. The two companies consider that the coexistence, compatibility and cooperation of marine renewable energies with biodiversity and with other marine sectors is essential to implement a project of these dimensions.
To do this, this week they will present FOWCA to various fishermen’s associations and other social entities, in order to establish a dialogue with them that will allow the project to be adapted to the needs of the island.
The delegate of Naturgy Renovables in the Canary Islands, Sergio Auffray, and the development director for Spain of Equinor, Javier Díez, present today the alliance of the two energy companies in the framework of a business conference organized by the Canary Islands Maritime Cluster and the Federation Canarian Port Companies (FEDEPORT).
Alliance in offshore wind power in Spain
Equinor and Naturgy sealed an agreement to work together to analyze opportunities for the development of offshore wind power in Spain. Both companies intend to take advantage of their complementary capabilities to develop this technology, which has great potential in Spanish waters.
In this alliance, the Spanish energy company will contribute its experience in the development of onshore wind power in our country and the Norwegian company will contribute with its proven capabilities in offshore floating technology.
The ‘Roadmap for offshore wind power and energy in the sea’ approved by the Spanish Government provides for the development of up to 3 GW of offshore wind power by 2030, and is currently working on defining the Development Plans for the Maritime Space (POEM), the previous step to be able to develop capacity auctions.
Spain plays a key role in the offshore wind power supply chain in the rest of Europe and Equinor has a long history of collaboration with the Spanish industry. Key components such as the floating substructure, tower and mooring system for Equinor’s Hywind Scotland floating wind farm were manufactured in Spain.
Naturgy maintains a very important commitment to the development of renewable energies and plans to reach 14 GW of installed power in 2025, from the current 5.2 GW. The company continues with its strategy of developing a renewable portfolio both nationally and internationally, focusing on stable geographies and projects in the initial phase of development.
Naturgy has ten wind farms in operation in the Canary Islands, with a total installed capacity of 75 MW. In 2021 they produced more than 198 GWh of energy, which is equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of about 56,800 homes. In addition, the company was the highest winner of the auction of the first bidding process for photovoltaic capacity endowed with Feder funds (SolCan), with 44 MW of power, and the second largest winner of the power auctioned in the Canary Islands in the second bidding process of wind capacity endowed with Feder funds (EolCan2), with 20 MW of power. It currently has an important portfolio of renewable projects under development in the Community.
Equinor is a values-driven company that wants to take a leadership role in the energy transition through collaboration within the company, with partners and suppliers, and with society. The company is currently developing the largest deep-sea wind farm.
