WindFloat Atlantic takes another important step towards its start-up. The second of the three platforms with an already installed wind turbine that make up this project has departed from the port of Ferrol towards its final destination, 20 kilometers off the coast of Viana do Castelo in Portugal.
Once the crossing is completed, it will be installed next to the first floating platform, twin in dimensions with a height of 30 meters each and a distance of 50 meters between its columns. To this structure will be added the third and last one that, once located in the enclave, will form the first floating wind farm in continental Europe.
The project belongs to the Windplus consortium, which is jointly owned by EDP Renováveis ??(54.4%), Engie (25%), Repsol (19.4%) and Principle Power Inc. (1.2%). The installation stands out for its floating platforms anchored only with chains to the seabed at a depth of 100 meters. It has cutting-edge technology that minimizes environmental impact and facilitates access to untapped wind resources in deep waters. Likewise, its advances imply great advantages that make it more accessible and economical, such as the fact that its assembly is carried out dry, that a specific transport vessel is not necessary for its trailer and does not depend on complex offshore operations associated with the installation of traditional fixed base structures. Facts that make this initiative replicable in other locations and eliminates geographical conditions when undertaking this type of infrastructure.
Likewise, WindFloat Atlantic units also allow the world’s largest wind turbines to be installed on a floating surface of 8.4 MW each, which contributes to increase energy generation and encourages a considerable reduction in the costs associated with the cycle of life.
The platforms are built between the two countries of the Iberian Peninsula: two of them in the shipyards of Setúbal (Portugal) and the third in the shipyards of Avilés and Ferrol (Spain). A project that applies a disruptive technology, called WindFloat, which allows the installation of wind platforms in deep waters, inaccessible to date, where abundant wind resources can be used.
This initiative has been supported by public and private institutions, which has resulted in the participation of leading companies in their markets and in the support, via funding, of the Government of Portugal, the European Commission and the European Investment Bank.
This 2 MW prototype, which was operational between 2011 and 2016, was able to generate energy continuously for five years, overcoming extreme weather conditions, such as waves up to 17 meters high and winds of 60 knots, without suffering damage.
Among the suppliers that have made this project possible, along with Principle Power, the Navantia / Windar joint venture, the A. Silva Matos group, Bourbon, the MHI Vestas turbine supplier and the dynamic cable provider JDR Cables .
EDP ??Renováveis ??(Euronext: EDPR) is a world leader in the renewable energy sector and the fourth largest producer of wind energy. With a solid portfolio of projects under development, top quality assets and a leading market exploitation capacity, EDPR has undergone outstanding development in recent years and is already present in fourteen international markets (Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia , France, Greece, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States). Energias de Portugal, S.A. («EDP»), the main shareholder of EDPR, is a leading international electricity company in value creation, innovation and sustainability. EDP ??has been part of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for 11 consecutive years.
Our group is a world leader in energy and low carbon services. In response to the urgency of climate change, our ambition is to become the world leader in the transition to zero carbon emissions “as a service” for our customers, in particular global companies and local entities. We rely on our key activities (renewable energy, gas, services) to offer complete competitive solutions.
With our 160,000 workers, customers, partners and shareholders, we are a community of Imaginative Builders, committed every day to more balanced progress.
Turnover in 2018: 60.6 billion euros. The group is listed on the Paris and Brussels stock exchanges (ENGI) and is represented in the main financial indices (CAC 40, DJ Euro Stoxx 50, Euronext 100, FTSE Eurotop 100, MSCI Europe) and non-financial indices (DJSI World, DJSI Europe and Euronext Vigeo Eiris – World 120, Eurozone 120, Europe 120, France 20, CAC 40 Governance).
Repsol is a global company that is present in the entire energy value chain. The company employs more than 25,000 people and its products are sold in more than 90 countries, reaching 10 million consumers. It produces about 700,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day and has one of the most efficient refining systems in Europe, capable of processing more than one million barrels of crude oil per day.
