Ocean Winds has chosen Navantia Seanergies to construct between eight and twelve floating platforms per year during the 2027-2031 period, which the company will be installing at the offshore wind farms it is planning in Spain, Portugal and other European countries. The agreement also provides for the manufacture of other structures required for this type of installation.

The bulk of the production will be distributed between Navantia's shipyards in Fene (La Coruña) and Puerto Real (Cádiz), where around a thousand direct jobs will be created during the term of the contract, which may be extended until 2033. Both facilities have been chosen by the publicly owned company Navantia Seanergies to develop this new line of business, although it will also have access to other facilities both in Spain and in the countries where the future wind farms will be located.

Stand-by agreement
Madrid-based energy company Global Winds is a joint venture created by Portugal's EDPR and France's Engie. Specialised in offshore wind energy, the firm has signed a stand-by agreement with Navantia Seanergies for exploitation of the new trend in floating offshore wind energy.

Under the agreement Navantia Seanergies will deliver an average of eight to twelve floating turbines per year between 2027 and 2031, as well as other components required for the offshore wind farms to be developed by Ocean Winds. This demand will generate an average of two million working hours per year, which will lead to the creation of the one thousand jobs announced.

Previous contracts
This is not the first agreement between the French-Portuguese joint venture and the publicly-owned Spanish company, which had already been awarded the contract to build fourteen XXL monopiles for the Moray West wind farm in the United Kingdom, and 62 jackets for the Dieppe le Tréport wind farm in France back in 2022, in consortium with the Asturian company Windar Renovables. Both projects are currently being developed at Navantia's facilities in Fene.

Ocean Winds also awarded Navantia Seanergies its first turnkey (EPC) contract in 2022. This includes two substation jackets, one for the Dieppe le Tréport electricity substation, and the second for the Îles d'Yeu et Noirmoutier wind farm, both in France. These two projects are currently being developed at Navantia Puerto Real, with design and manufacture by Navantia Seanergies.

Acceleration of objectives
As Ocean Winds CEO Bautista Rodriguez explained, “Since launching our WindFloat prototype in Portugal in 2011, we’ve been convinced of the Iberian Peninsula’s potential to become a hub for the floating offshore wind energy sector. With this agreement, Ocean Winds is continuing with its commitment to this technology, and we’re preparing for future projects within the framework of accelerating the offshore wind energy objectives announced by both Spain and Portugal, together with our historical partner Navantia”.

Navantia’s Chairman Ricardo Domínguez explained how “Navantia has made a firm commitment to the renewables sector, in which it began its journey nine years ago, and that last year culminated in the creation of Navantia Seanergies, a specific line of business for this product, and with the aspiration to become a global supplier. We must prepare for the exponential growth of offshore wind energy in the coming years. We’re convinced that the agreement with Ocean Winds will have a very positive effect on the industry, enabling expansion and further growth, allowing focused and targeted investments, and developing supply chains that are ready to meet the major challenges in this sector”.

^{Photo: Ocean Winds}