Offshore Wind Energy: The WindFloat Project and Offshore Auctions
EDP's WindFloat installed off Viana do Castelo the first floating wind turbine connected to the grid in deep water, in 2011. Portugal's first offshore wind auction, initially expected by the end of 2023, had an estimated kick-off of June 2024.
Offshore wind harnesses stronger, more consistent winds at sea than on land, with fewer space constraints and less visual and noise impact, though it involves higher installation costs and harsher maritime conditions. A pioneering example is EDP's WindFloat project, which uses floating platforms anchored to the seabed to support turbines at depths where fixed structures would be unviable.
WindFloat and the offshore auctions
WindFloat was deployed off the coast of Viana do Castelo, in northern Portugal. Its first phase, WindFloat 1, installed a 2-megawatt (MW) floating turbine in 2011 — the first time a floating wind turbine was connected to the electricity grid in deep water. As for Portugal's offshore wind auctions, the first one, initially expected to proceed by the end of 2023, had an estimated kick-off of June 2024, about six months behind schedule.