The 25MW WindFloat Atlantic floating offshore wind farm off Portugal is now fully operational and supplying electricity to the country’s national grid.
WindFloat Atlantic features three 8.4MW MHI Vestas turbines installed on floating structures designed by Principle Power.
It has been developed by the Windplus consortium, comprising EDP Renewables (54.4%), Engie (25%), Repsol (19.4%) and Principle Power (1.2%).
Two of the platforms were manufactured at shipyards in Setbal in Portugal, while the third was constructed in Aviles and Fene in Spain.
The developers said the milestone “cements the success of a decade-long project by the Windplus joint venture, ensuring access to the best wind resources in water depths that have previously been inaccessible”.
They added that the success of the project is rooted in its technology.
“Its mooring technology, for example, allows for installation in waters over 100 metres deep, and its design offers stability in adverse weather and sea conditions,” the partners said.
The dry-dock assembly also provided logistical and financial savings, and the platforms have been towed using standard tug boats, they added.
“These technical advantages, among others, clearly show that Windfloat Atlantic’s model is replicable in other areas where adverse seabed conditions or significant water depth mean that traditional bottom-fixed offshore wind technology is not an option,” the Windplus consortium said.