The Council of Ministers today approved the extension of the pilot project for renewable energies at sea, to enable the completion of the Windfloat wind energy project off Viana do Castelo.The project is part of the Industrial Strategy for Ocean Renewable Energies, coordinated by EDP, through EDP Renováveis.
WindFloat has been developed by a consortium that includes technology partner Principle Power Inc., Portugal Capital Ventures and the Spanish oil company, Repsol.
The technology is a semi-submersible floating platform on top of which sits a wind turbine.
A prototype was installed off the Portuguese coast near Aguçadoura, in Póvoa do Varzim, and was connected to the electricity grid in 2011.
After five years at sea, the WindFloat prototype ended its trial phase at the end of 2016 and the project can now continue a few kilometres to the north, off Viana do Castelo.
The announcement by the government has averted financial disaster for those involved. On January 6, Público reported that the government was forced to ask Brussels for Windfloat's deadlines to be pushed back to 2019 or the project would lose €30 million in Community funds and potentially lose EDP as a partner.
The original Community funding for Windfloat was approved in 2012 under the NER 300 programme and the Portuguese government has injected around €10 million so far.
Last October, Viana do Castelo council requested the Government to complete all the procedures necessary to meet the deadlines for the construction of the floating wind farm. This now has been done and the project can start full production in 2019 - and qualify for the original European grant.
