WindFloat Atlantic closes 2022, reaching 78GWh

After nearly 2 years and a half in fully operation, WindFloat Atlantic closes 2022 with an electricity production of 78GWh (+5% more than its first year). This production enables the supply of green energy to more than 25,000 households, as well as the avoidance of 33,000 tones of CO2.

These favourable data show Portugal’s potential on offshore wind energy, which is reflected in the annual availability of the wind farm, which was between 93-94%, as well as showing the success of WindFloat Atlantic’s innovative technology, being a benchmark within the offshore sector.

This success is not only due to the innovative technology of WindFloat Atlantic, but also to the entire team in charge of the constant supervision of the wind farm. WindFloat Atlantic has an O&M base in the port of Viana do Castelo, from where the team receives all the information in real time from the wind farm and controls the different issues that may arise and require on-site intervention, which are complex due to the adverse weather and sea conditions in the wind farm area.

This year, between the O&M activities, which included preventive and corrective actions, more than 18,000 hours have been worked, without any accidents that required first aid, treatment or provoked leaves due to injury.

José Pinheiro, Country Manager for Southern Europe and Project Director for WindFloat Atlantic commented, “Every day of WindFloat Atlantic in operation is one additional day of acquired knowledge to OW – something very valuable and differentiating when projecting future floating commercial projects.

Through this accumulated experience, OW not only we will be able to do fewer errors, but also bring optimizations and deliver more benefits to those who come to benefit directly and indirectly from our future commercial floating offshore projects”.

WindFloat Atlantic is exceeding the production expectations set for this project and considering that it will be in operation for the next 25 years, the positive impact of WindFloat Atlantic will never stop increasing. The pioneer windfarm consists in three platforms, each with one 8.4-MW Vestas turbine installed, which are anchored with chains to the seabed and connected to the onshore substation in the Portuguese municipality of Viana do Castelo through a 20-kilometre (12.43 miles) cable.