Naturgy bets on offshore wind energy

Naturgy and Equinor are working on the development of the Floating Offshore Wind Canarias (FOWCA) project, with which they want to opt for the installation of more than 200 MW of floating offshore wind in the maritime space east of Gran Canaria. The FOWCA project, which would connect to Red Eléctrica Española's Barranco de Tirajana substation, will be developed with semi-submersible floating platform technology, which allows structures to be installed further from the coast. According to a study commissioned from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, it is estimated that the project can generate more than 2,500 jobs in all its phases.

The FOWCA project will be developed with semi-submersible floating platform technology, which allows structures to be installed further from the coast

The Canary Islands are an ideal space for promoting offshore wind energy, as Naturgy points out, taking into account that the region offers excellent wind conditions. Also, she adds, the islands have a shipyard industry that can transform its activity from oil platforms to platforms for marine renewable energies, since part of the manufacturing and assembly can be carried out in local shipyards.

Initiatives such as FOWCA are part of the energy company's commitment to promote energy transition and decarbonization, with the aim of achieving emission neutrality by 2050 and an installed capacity of renewable sources close to 60%. In the short term, the multinational plans to invest 14,000 million euros until 2025, of which approximately two thirds will be dedicated to renewable generation, to reach an installed capacity of more than 14 GW. Currently, it has more than 5.3 GW of installed capacity.

Alliance in offshore wind in Spain

Equinor and Naturgy sealed an agreement to work together in the analysis of opportunities for the development of offshore wind in Spain. Both companies intend to leverage their complementary capabilities to develop this technology, which has great potential in national waters. In this alliance, the Spanish energy company will contribute its experience in onshore wind development and the Norwegian company will contribute its proven capabilities in floating offshore technology.

Equinor and Naturgy sealed an agreement to work together in the analysis of opportunities for the development of offshore wind in Spain

The Government is working to promote the development of up to 3 GW of offshore wind power by 2030. Currently, it is working on the definition of the Maritime Spatial Planning Plans (POEM), a preliminary step to be able to develop capacity auctions. In fact, Spain plays a key role in the offshore wind energy supply chain in the rest of Europe and foreign companies such as Equinor have a long history of collaboration with Spanish industry. For example, in the country, key components such as the floating substructure, the tower and the mooring system of Equinor's Hywind Scotland floating wind farm were manufactured.

With an installed capacity of 75 MW in the Canary Islands

Naturgy currently has ten wind farms in operation in the Canary Islands, totaling an installed capacity of 75 MW. In 2021, they produced over 198 GWh of energy, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of approximately 56,800 homes. Additionally, in the latest energy auctions held in the islands, Eolcan II and Solcan, Naturgy was awarded an additional 60 MW, most of which are under construction. Furthermore, the multinational energy company has various renewable energy projects under administrative processing in the archipelago, both wind and photovoltaic, which confirms the company's commitment to the Canary Islands.

Naturgy has ten wind farms in operation in the Canary Islands, totaling an installed capacity of 75 MW

With 71.9 MW, the Canary Islands is, after Extremadura and Andalusia, the autonomous community that concentrates the most new renewable projects of Naturgy in Spain.Of the ten projects expected to come into operation in Spain before the end of the year, which would mean the entry of a total of 228 MW, four of them will be in the Canary Islands: two wind farms (PE Agüimes and PE Camino de la Madera) and two photovoltaic plants (FV Puerto del Rosario and FV Salinetas).

Specifically, Camino de la Madera is an installation composed of four wind turbines that will have a total power of 9.2 MW and will involve an investment of more than 10.5 million euros. It is expected to produce 27.5 GWh of energy per year, which is equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 7,800 homes. This new infrastructure will allow displacing the use of other conventional electricity generation sources and will contribute to reducing annual CO2 emissions by more than 13,700 tons, in addition to other polluting emissions. This wind farm was included in the second call for aid for investment in wind technology facilities located in the Canary Islands, co-financed with FEDER funds and managed by the IDAE.