RWE, Ferrovial Plan to Jointly Develop Floating Wind Projects in Spain

Business & Finance

February 16, 2023, by Adrijana Buljan

Spanish company Ferrovial and German offshore wind developer RWE have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore the joint development, construction and operation of floating wind farms in Spain, where Ferrovial has so far submitted expressions of interest (EoIs) for four projects totalling almost 1.8 GW.

According to a press release from RWE, Ferrovial has filed EoIs to build floating offshore wind farms off the coast of Lugo, Pontevedra, Gerona, and Gran Canaria. All of the projects are proposed to be constructed at sites that are located between 11 and 30 kilometres from the coast.

In Spain, RWE and Ferrovial have already crossed paths in the offshore wind sector within the DemoSATH project, which will install Saitec Offshore Technologies’s floater for testing later this year. RWE is Saitec’s project partner, while Ferrovial was responsible for the construction of the DemoSATH concrete platform.

Outside offshore wind, the two companies have been working together in Spain for a while now, with their joint projects comprising onshore wind capacity of around 490 MW, solar capacity of more than 90 MWac and more than 150 MW under construction.

Now, as project partners in offshore wind too, the companies say they aim to contribute to the renewable energy targets in Spain, which has deemed floating wind technology as the most suitable for its waters and set a target of 3 GW of floating offshore wind capacity by 2030.

“Spain has been an important core market for RWE to grow our solar and onshore business for many years. Now we are excited to go one step further. Floating offshore wind is key to meeting the increasing demand for renewable power in Europe, delivering sustainability solutions, supporting local industries and creating new, future-proof jobs”, said Sven Utermöhlen, CEO of RWE Offshore Wind GmbH.

“Together with our partner Ferrovial we are committed to contributing towards Spain’s offshore wind objectives – hand in hand with the local communities and supply chain. We bring more than 20 years of experience in the offshore industry to this partnership”.

Gonzalo Nieto, CEO of Ferrovial Energy Infrastructure and Mobility, said: “This agreement represents a further step in our firm commitment to decarbonizing the economy, and to renewable energies. At Ferrovial, we clearly see the growth opportunities that this sector offers, which is why we have decided to partner with another market leader, RWE. Its capabilities, especially in offshore wind are highly regarded and its presence in the renewables sector make it the right partner to strengthen our bid in Spain”.