WindFloat Atlantic Begins Operations

WindFloat Atlantic. Image courtesy of EDP Renewables

WindFloat Atlantic, the first floating wind farm in continental Europe, has been fully commissioned and is now fully operational. The first of the three units was connected on December 31^st, 2019, and the final one in late July 2020.

The installation, which features the world’s largest offshore wind turbine—the MHI Vestas V164-8.4MW—has a total installed capacity of 25 megawatts. This capacity is estimated to supply with clean energy some 60,000 households connected to Portugal’s electrical grid, per year while offsetting almost 1.1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide.

WindFloat Atlantic comprises three platforms connected via export cables to the substation at Viana do Castelo, Portugal. It marks a major milestone in technology advancement, as it can be installed at a depth of 328 feet and can withstand adverse weather and sea conditions.

Its development took a decade of collaboration between the members of the Windplus joint venture—a consortium comprising EDP Renewables (54.4 percent), ENGIE (25 percent), Repsol (19.4 percent) and Principle Power (1.2 percent). Bourbon Subsea Services was responsible for the project management, procurement and engineering of the WindFloat Atlantic installation at sea; Vryhof was the mooring solution provider for the project and Principle Power was responsible for the full engineering and certification of the platform, in addition to providing its patented WindFloat technology solution. Principle Power will also be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the facility.