Danish utility Ørsted has joined forces with the infrastructure division of Spain’s Acciona to explore options for floating offshore wind foundations.
The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding that will see them working to reduce floating wind levelised cost of electricity (LCoE) and environmental footprint, industrialise the fabrication of concrete foundations, and establish a European supply chain to support Ørsted’s European project pipeline for floating wind.
Ørsted said the focus will be on the use of carbon-neutral bio-cement, bio-concrete, and other materials and solutions that support the duo’s biodiversity and carbon reduction goals.
More than 20% of new offshore wind farms are estimated to be floating by the mid-2030s. Spain has laid out a roadmap to becoming a leading European market for floating offshore wind, setting a target of 3 GW by 2030. Last year, Ørsted teamed up with Repsol to look into the joint development of floaters in the country. Meanwhile, Acciona has been heavily involved in the design of innovative floating wind foundation solutions, which among other things includes a stake in the French developer Eolink.
“The goal of our collaboration with Acciona is to take floating wind from the innovation to the industrialisation stage, said Rasmus Errboe, executive vice president and CEO of Ørsted Europe, adding: “Ørsted intends to further grow our European floating pipeline, with Spain being a key market of interest for us. Advancing floating wind technology and bringing it to market is a key strategic aim for Ørsted’s floating wind programme, and supply chain partnerships are the way to do just that.”
“This alliance will help us accelerate the development of our business as a supplier of offshore platforms for the wind power industry. The expertise that Ørsted brings to the table, as well as Acciona’s knowledge – as a group – of infrastructure and renewable energy, will be key to the success of this agreement,” added Huberto Moreno, CEO of Acciona’s construction division.
