WindFloat Atlantic (WFA) wind farm is now operational. After the energization of the 20-km cable connecting the offshore wind farm and the substation of Viana do Castello in Portugal, the first of the three platforms comprising the Windplus consortium’s wind farm, was successfully connected on 31st December. The other two units will be connected successively, until they reach 25 MW of the WFA project.
The WindFloat Atlantic units –measuring 30 meters in height and with a 50-meter distance between columns– accommodate the world’s largest wind turbines installed on a floating structure of 8.4 MW, helping to increase power generation and drive significant reductions in lifecycle costs. Once fully operational the three wind turbine generators making up the wind farm, with their 25 MW of installed capacity, will be able to generate enough energy to supply the equivalent of 60,000 users each year.
The commissioning of this wind farm facilitates access to untapped marine areas and represents a significant technological leap towards shaping a carbon-free economy in Portugal. The WindFloat Atlantic platforms are anchored with chains to the seabed at a depth of 100 meters. They are designed to be transported by standard towing craft, as opposed to bottom-fixed projects which require expensive vessels to be mobilized for transport, and their on-shore assembly helps scale back logistics, financial and environmental costs associated with marine construction.
Windplus is a consortium made up of EDP Renewables, Engie, Repsol and Principle Power.
