The floating wind turbine that the Catalan company X1 Wind has installed in the Canary Islands is already working

The debate on the installation of wind farms on the Catalan coast is still open but, meanwhile, the Barcelona-based company X1 Wind has just announced that its X30 floating wind turbine prototype, installed off the coast of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands), is already is running and has produced, on March 7, 2023, its first kWh.

Thomas Osborne
Thomas Osborne
07 March 2023 Tuesday 06:25
21 Reads
The floating wind turbine that the Catalan company X1 Wind has installed in the Canary Islands is already working

The debate on the installation of wind farms on the Catalan coast is still open but, meanwhile, the Barcelona-based company X1 Wind has just announced that its X30 floating wind turbine prototype, installed off the coast of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands), is already is running and has produced, on March 7, 2023, its first kWh.

X1 Wind highlights in the presentation note of the entry into operation of its first demonstration equipment that it is "a milestone" for being "the only floating wind platform in the world currently installed with a TLP mooring system, which drastically reduces the footprint environment and improves compatibility with other uses of the sea". On the other hand, the company indicates, the X30 is "the first floating wind energy prototype in Spain to export electricity through a submarine cable."

The electricity supply generated by the X30 is connected to the PLOCAN marine platform network (for demonstration of renewable energies at sea) through a 1.4 km submarine cable. The connection and supply of electricity is the final phase of the test and verification program of this demonstration equipment, which began with the installation of the platform in November 2022, and represents a new step towards "the certification of technology for commercial-scale projects currently under development," says X1 Wind.

Carlos Casanovas, technical director and co-founder of X1 Wind, insists that "the first kWh is always a symbolic moment for any new power generation project, and for our team, partners and supporters, it crystallizes the immense journey we have been on and the exciting road ahead."

The X30 platform is equipped with a specially adapted Vestas V29 turbine and an ABB power converter. Another key design feature, developed through the EU-supported PivotBuoy Project, combines the advantages of both the SPM and TLP mooring systems. SPM's patented design allows the float to function passively as a weather vane (it is oriented to take better advantage of the wind) and maximizes energy yields, with an electric twist that guarantees the transfer of electricity without twisting the cable, according to the company. .

X1 Wind also considers that "the TLP mooring system also drastically reduces the footprint of the seabed, compared to traditional designs that propose catenary mooring lines, minimizing environmental impact and maximizing compatibility with other uses of the sea, in addition to its suitability to move in deeper waters".

Adrián Oliva, manager of Electrical Engineering at X1 Wind, explains that Once the equipment was installed in the sea, the first round of tests were carried out without current and then the connection and evaluation of the behavior of the float during operation. "This is all part of X1 Wind's extensive test verification program to fully validate the platform under real-world operating conditions and de-risk our technology," says Adrián Oliva.

José Joaquín Hernández Brito, general director of the Canary Islands Oceanic Platform (PLOCAN), considers that the connection of the X30 "marks an important milestone for the Spanish floating wind industry". "Spain has established itself as a world leader in innovative floating wind energy solutions, with numerous companies that develop cutting-edge technologies, world-class research groups and research centers," says Hernández Brito.