The head of one of Spain’s leading floating wind suppliers has called on the Spanish government to bring forward long-awaited details of the country’s first offshore wind tender.
Alex Raventos, chief executive and co-founder of Barcelona-based X1 Wind (pictured, furthest right) said developers and suppliers had been “waiting for two years” for ministers to clear the last legislative hurdles and confirm specific criteria for the inaugural auction.
This was initially expected to have taken place off the Canary Islands last year as part of a government target to deploy 3GW by the end of the decade.
He told delegates at today’s WFO Global Summit in the Catalan city he also expected Spain’s deputy prime minister and portfolio holder for ecological transition Sara Aagesen Munoz to be equally supportive to the industry as her predecessor Teresa Ribera.
The departed Ribera had pledged to make Spain a global leader in the fledgling technology and was an enthusiastic supporter of investment in research and development before leaving the role last month to take up a senior position at the European Commission.
Raventos added: “Sadly, she (Ribera) left, as I thought she was a good minister. But the new one (Munoz) is also very supportive and will continue her work.
“However, it is one thing to have intentions and another to have policies in place and we have been waiting for two years.
“In 2025 we expect information on the tender, at least.”