Global renewable energy giant Iberdrola has signalled its ambition to become a “leading player” in floating wind power as it announced plans for projects off Norway and Spain and a wider ambition to take an “active interest” in the sector off Scotland and the US – and flagged up that it may add floating arrays to some of its existing offshore wind farms.

The Spanish group – already one of the word’s largest operators of fixed-bottom offshore wind – will lead a project in the Norwegian North Sea dubbed Flagship, which aims to deploy a 10MW-plus turbine atop a next-generation concrete semisubmersible platform called the OO-Star Wind Floater developed by engineering outfit Dr Techn Olav Olsen.

Flagship, being developed as part of the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme with an eye on cutting the levelised cost of energy (LCOE) of floating wind to €40-60/MWh ($44-66/MWh) by 2030, will be involve an international consortium that includes developer EDF, consultancy DNV-GL and contractor Kvaerner.

Iberdrola said it is also close to firming-up plans for a floating wind demonstrator off the Canaries Islands or Spain’s Basque Country, but using a different technology to the Norwegian project, which will be installed Norway’s Met Centre test facility, where Stiesdal Offshore Technologies’ innovative TetraSpar concept will be trialed.

Recharge reported last year how Iberdrola’s most senior renewable energy executive said floating wind could be an “important opportunity” in the deeper waters off Spain.

The Spanish group – which has a 10GW global offshore wind pipeline – added that it is “actively interested in processes for large scale floating offshore wind projects in different locations such as the US and Scotland”.

Iberdrola’s managing director for offshore wind, Jonathan Cole, said: “Iberdrola aims to be a leading player in the floating offshore wind sector, and the demonstration projects that we are developing will ensure we are ready for engaging in large-scale commercial floating wind projects in the near future.

“We are not tied to any one technology, and we have had a team actively analysing all developments in the sector for many years. Now is the right time to move from research and development in to putting turbines in the water and increasing our knowledge.”

Iberdrola, which was an early mover in the floating wind space with a project called TLPWind, is also looking at options for installing additional floating turbines at some of its existing offshore wind farms.

The entry of Iberdrola into floating wind adds to a lengthening roll-call of major energy players taking positions in rapidly emerging sector, with the Spanish group joining fellow power utility RWE and oil giants Total and Shell, all of which have invested in the technology in recent months.

Analysts range widely in their 2030 global forecasts for floating wind, with estimates spread from as little as 6GW up to almost 19GW – with arrays in development in all major maritime regions and over 20GW of commercial-scale projects in early planning – and the build-out all influenced by how quickly levellised cost of energy numbers can be brought down to be competitive with conventional offshore wind.

· With additional reporting by Darius Snieckus

Wind

Iberdrola aims to be 'leading floating wind player' with first projects off Norway and Spain