BayWa r.e. has officially applied to secure the rights for an exclusive use of the seabed for a commercial-scale floating offshore wind project in Portugal, which the company said will be the first subsidy-free floating wind farm in the world.
This follows initial discussions and consultation stages with the Portuguese government and all local stakeholders, the developer said.
BayWa r.e. plans to develop a floating offshore wind farm with 30 turbines and up to 600 MW capacity in total, in a dedicated zone off the coastline of Viana do Castelo.
According to the company, the project is compatible with the recently announced offshore wind tenders to be run in the future and can serve as a blueprint for the bidding projects.
BayWa r.e. said it intends to support the creation of a global floating offshore wind supply chain in Portugal using existing local infrastructure, that the tender projects will be able to use.
Furthermore, the project will be realised without any public subsidies, with a power purchase agreement (PPA) , the developer said.
Ricardo Rocha , Technical Director Offshore Wind at BayWa r.e. said: ”Our project will be a real milestone for the Portuguese Offshore industry. We have been working hard with our industrial partners and all the stakeholders during the development process. Now is the time to take it to the next level. We are looking forward to continuing collaborating with the Portuguese government and authorities, to make this project not only a project in Portugal, but also and especially, for Portugal.”
The project is expected to significantly support Portugal in achieving its climate targets and reaching net zero emissions in the following decades. In particular, Portugal aims to increase the share of renewables in electricity production to 80 per cent by 2026.
”Our project is well in line with Portugal’s ambitious offshore targets. The zone where our Floating wind farm is to be built is part of the marine spatial plan of the Portuguese government, so it already has a dedicated zone. At BayWa r.e., we are excited to not only drive forward the energy transition with this project, but also to bring socio-economic benefits such as new jobs and local infrastructure to the community in Viana do Castelo,” said Lorenzo Palombi , Global Director Wind Projects at BayWa r.e.
BayWa r.e. has already been successful with similar projects. This includes the rights to develop the 960 MW Buchan offshore project off the northeast coast of Scotland.
Furthermore, BayWa r.e. also pre-qualified for two floating offshore wind tenders in France, including a 250 MW project in Southern Brittany , as well as another two projects with a total capacity of 500 MW in the Mediterranean Sea.