The Norwegian company Equinor and Naturgy have agreed to explore together the development of offshore wind power in Spain. The alliance will leverage the complementary skills of the Norwegian company, an expert in floating offshore technology, and Spain’s Naturgy, with its experience in onshore wind power development. Equinor is the world’s leading developer of floating offshore wind power. It currently has 800 MW in offshore wind farms.

Offshore wind power has huge potential for development in Spain, especially after the approval of the route map in which the government expects to have up to three gigawatts online in offshore wind by 2030. 90% of the seas around Spain where wind power could be installed are deep water, driving the need for floating turbines.

First auction in 2023
The agreement was finalised at the Wind Europe conference in Bilbao, and the joint venture will reach its first milestone with a jointly developed project for Spain’s first offshore wind power auction, to be held in the Canary Islands in 2023.

Jens Økland, Equinor's senior vice president for business development in renewables, considers it “good news to see offshore wind power rolling out in Spain. Three gigawatts by 2030 is an ambitious goal, and floating wind power makes it possible. Equinor has ample experience in Spain and Naturgy is a very well-known partner for Equinor.”

Window of opportunity
Spain is a major supplier of European renewable energy projects, including the offshore wind projects developed by companies like Equinor. For example, key components of the floating wind farm Hywind Scotland, which was built by Equinor, were made in Spain, such as the floating substructure, the tower, and the anchoring system.

The vice president of floating offshore wind at Equinor, Sonja Chirico Indrebø, stated, “As an operator and developer of floating offshore wind farms, we know the technology works, and we believe our experience equips us to contribute to its development in Spain in a safe, sustainable and efficient manner, together with our partner. We hope to continue working with Spanish industry.”

Meanwhile the general manager of renewables, new business and innovation at Naturgy, Jorge Barredo, explains that “the development of floating wind power opens a very important window of opportunity for Spain, as it enables us to use locations further from the coast, with excellent wind resources, and to drive the economy through key sectors such as shipping and civil engineering. This is an opportunity for industry as well as energy, and it must be used in a balanced way to benefit all interested parties.”

^{Photo: Equinor}