Portugal’s Floating Wind Farms?

Principle Power of the US and Energias de Portugal (EDP) have signed an agreement to build wind turbines on offshore, floating platforms near Portugal’s coastline.

The company from Seattle says that it is in discussion with various investors to raise the initial $20m required for construction.

EDP is already a stakeholder in the project.

The initial phase will be the construction of a single wind turbine on Principle Power’s offshore platform.

Principle is already in negotiations with two, unnamed turbine companies.

During the following 18 months, it will, with EDP, collect information from the platform about performance and weather.

If the data is acceptable, the sea platform will become a significant generating plant.

Principle’s platform may be put into service in gusty off shore areas, as turbine farms far from populated regions.

The CEO of EDP, Antonio Mexia, said this could give a significant impetus to the financial feasibility of offshore turbines.

At present onshore wind turbines cost twice as much.

He pointed out that building floating platforms for wind generation is necessary before offshore turbine farms can be built around the world, as there are not many areas where the sea is less than 50 metres deep.

Permanent structures at greater depths are not financially viable he said.

The Windfloat may be the right solution for offshore turbine farms in deep water, he added.

This investment by EDP is one of several to position it as an important company in the mushrooming international market for power from the wind.

EDP has a share in the €9m Aguçadoura wave-energy scheme, which built 2.25MW of such facilities in Portuguese waters.

Principle and Tillamook People’s Utility District are working on a 150 MW floating wind plant off Oregon’s coast.

Private investors have put in $2.3m already.