The first floating wind farm is now operational. WindFloat Atlantic is now supplying energy to Portugal's electrical grid following the connection of the last of the three platforms to the 20 km export cable connecting the wind farm to the substation at Viana do Castelo.
WindFloat Atlantic, which has a total installed capacity of 25 MW, is the world’s first semi-submersible floating wind farm, bring to completion a decade-long project by the Windplus joint venture, consortium, comprising EDP Renewables, ENGIE, Repsol and Principle Power.
Because it can be placed in very deep waters the farm can unlock energy resources in vast areas of the sea, whilst also being assembled in a dry-dock then towed to position without the need for specialised towing craft. The technology also does not have to rely on complex offshore operations associated with the installation of traditional bottom-fixed structures. These factors contribute towards driving down lifecycle costs and reducing risks.
Additionally, the WindFloat foundation can accommodate the world's largest available turbines, contributing to increasing energy production and making significant reductions in lifecycle costs.
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