FLAGSHIP PROJECT: FLOATING OFFSHORE WIND POWER

After eight years working on a variety of R&D projects involving floating technology, Iberdrola group has decided to go one step further and undertake demonstration projects such as Flagship. This initiative, spearheaded by Iberdrola and backed by an international consortium, will be rolled out at the Met Centre in Norway to help reduce the levelised cost of energy (LCOE) to a range of €40-60/MWh by 2030, driven by economies of scale, competitive supply chains and a variety of technological innovations.

The Flagship project plans to develop a 10 MW floating offshore wind turbine and a semi-submersible floating concrete structure. Both elements will be designed to operate in North Sea conditions and will pave the way for future 500 MW floating wind farms. The project is also an opportunity to test the feasibility of installing them in other locations in the Mediterranean, the Atlantic and the Pacific, and to study the cost and logistical viability of using concrete technology instead of steel.

The consortium — which includes companies and institutions from Spain (Core-Marine, Cener, IHC, Zabala Innovation Consulting), Norway (Olav Olsen, Kvaerner, UnitechSubsea, Met Centre), France (EDF), Denmark (DTU) and Germany (DNV -GL)— has obtained 25 million euros in funding from the European Union under the H2020 programme for demonstrating innovative technology for floating wind farms. The project was submitted to the call put out by the Executive Agency for Innovation and Networks (INEA), which manages the European Commission's transport, energy and telecommunications programmes, and it received the highest score (15 out of 15) from among 14 other proposals.

According to the planned project schedule, the floating platform is likely to begin being manufactured in H2 2023 and be installed at sea in Q1 2025.

OTHER FLOATING WIND POWER PROJECTS BY IBERDROLA

Iberdrola is also about to strike an agreement to develop another floating wind power prototype in Spain using different technology, which would help to develop the Spanish offshore wind power industry and assess the viability of implementing this type of technology in Spain. This demonstration project is expected to bolster the supply of offshore wind power in the País Vasco and speed up the energy transition in the region (BIMEP), as well as in other areas such as the Islas Canarias (PLOCAM), thus helping to diversify the Spanish industry.

The company is also exploring the idea of installing additional floating wind turbines in its current project portfolio and it plays an active part in developing large-scale offshore wind power projects.

All of these initiatives offer Iberdrola valuable insight into the wide range of aspects involved in developing floating wind energy, which means the company is well-prepared to commission a commercial project of this nature in the near future. The group, thus, aims to ensure the continuation of its large portfolio of offshore wind power projects, where floating technology is set to play a key role in fulfilling the sector's global goals.

SPEARHEADING OFFSHORE WIND POWER IN FIXED PLATFORMS

Nearly 20 years after pioneering the move to onshore wind-powered generation, the company has now decided to spearhead the development of today's most promising renewable energy source: fixed offshore wind power platforms. In this way, clean offshore generation, key to combating climate change, will be a fundamental pillar of the company's strategy, which plans to allocate €17 billion to the renewable business until 2025, of which 46% will focus on offshore wind projects in France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Offshore wind is one of the group's growth vectors with 1.3 GW installed, which will triple with the construction of 2.6 GW, without site costs. The significant expansion of the portfolio comprising this technology, based in new growth platforms with considerable potential, including Japan, Poland, Sweden and Ireland, will allow the group to reach 12,000 MW in operation by 2030.