A Spanish renewables developer said it aims to use 12MW turbines at a floating wind project off Gran Canaria.

The 50MW Gofio project near the port of Arinaga is being advanced by Greenalia, which said it has now filed for planning consent with local officials.

“The power plant is formed by four 12.5 MW offshore wind turbines on top of floating foundations,” said Greenalia in a statement that gives no further details of the machine or floating platform it plans to use.

“The project is located in one of the areas with highest wind resource in Europe,” added the developer. Arinaga is the site of Spain's first test deployment of an offshore wind turbine, with a 5MW Gamesa prototype installed quayside there in 2013.

The only turbine of the scale described currently nearing commercial deployment is the Haliade-X from GE Renewable Energy, but the Paris-based OEM told Recharge it has no involvement with the project.

Greenalia has been contacted by Recharge for comment.

The Canary Islands are seen as a prime location for floating wind, with the Spanish wind industry association telling Recharge it is keen to see them developed as a global hub for the fast-emerging technology.

Norwegian energy giant Equinor already has a permit to build a 200MW floating project off the Canaries that could be in operation by 2024.

Floating wind is already strengthening its foothold off southern Europe with the WindFloat Atlantic (WFA) array in the Portuguese Atlantic, which will soon welcome the last of its three floating units with their 8.4MW MHI Vestas turbines.

Wind

Canaries floating wind farm plans to use 12MW turbines