The Diplomat
Iberdrola will promote floating offshore wind power in Spain with what would be the first project of this type on an industrial scale in the country, with an investment of more than 1 billion euros for the commissioning of 300 megawatts (MW) off the Spanish coast, the energy company said.
The group presided by Ignacio Sánchez Galán has presented this project to the European funds of the Next Generation EU program, as it is aligned with the pillars of the Spanish Government’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, and considers that it represents an opportunity to develop the country’s value chain and position the Spanish industry as an international reference.
The electricity company considers that this project would spearhead the development of up to 2,000 MW of floating offshore wind energy that the company has identified and which could be built off the Galician and Andalusian coasts or in the Canary Islands.
The study, design and engineering of this first floating offshore wind farm could start this year and until its entry into operation, expected in 2026, it would generate more than 2,800 jobs per year and would require the participation of 66 Spanish companies and technology centers, including 52 SMEs. In the short term, in the 2021-2022 scenario and before the start of the construction phase, the initiative could generate between 1,000 and 2,000 jobs.
According to the company’s estimates, this activity would involve nine autonomous communities, thus contributing to the structuring of the territory and the creation of industrial and innovation opportunities in a growing market with a high export component. The project would also contribute to the fight against climate change, avoiding the emission into the atmosphere of 202,500 tons of CO2 per year.
Iberdrola points out that it would thus add value to the capabilities of an industrial fabric that it has helped to create in the country in recent years. The company has collaborated with Spanish suppliers such as Navantia, Windar, Ingeteam and Haizea Wind for the construction of critical components for its Wikinger (Germany) and East Anglia One (UK) offshore wind farms and those under development, such as Saint Brieuc (France). This activity has boosted a business base that has made Spain the fifth country in the world in terms of the number of factories in the offshore wind supply chain.
Iberdrola is an international benchmark in the offshore wind market and has one of the largest offshore wind portfolios in the market, amounting to more than 30 gigawatts (GW). The company operates wind farms in the German Baltic Sea (Wikinger and Baltic Eagle), the North Sea (East Anglia One and East Anglia Hub) and the Irish Sea (West of Duddon Sands). It is also making progress in the Vineyard Wind 1 (800 MW off the coast of Massachusetts), Park City Wind (with a capacity of 804 MW) and Kitty Hawk (Virginia) projects -through Vineyard Wind- and in the Saint Brieuc wind farm on the French coast.ç
In addition, in recent months, it has also gained access to an early-stage portfolio in new markets, which will become growth platforms in this segment, such as Sweden, Japan, Poland and Ireland. In Denmark, it recently agreed to participate with Total in the country’s next offshore auction with the Thor offshore wind farm (1 GW). By 2025, the company headed by Ignacio Sánchez Galán expects to reach 60 GW of installed renewable capacity worldwide, of which 4 GW will correspond to offshore wind.
