IberBlue Wind has revealed its plan to develop the 990MW Botafogo floating offshore wind farm in Portugal.
The offshore wind project will be built on floating platforms tethered to the seabed, thereby enabling it to be located 30-50km from the coast of Figueira da Foz.
IberBlue Wind is a joint venture (JV) formed by Irish energy company Simply Blue Group and Spanish firms Proes Consultores and FF New Energy Ventures.
It seeks to develop at least 2GW of offshore wind capacity on the Iberian Peninsula with floating wind farms each of 500MW or more.
The Botafogo floating offshore wind farm will span across an area of 359km². It will feature 55 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 18MW.
Put together, the turbines are expected to generate electricity for hundreds and thousands of households.
According to IberBlue Wind, close coordination with various stakeholders is required for the implementation of the floating offshore wind project.
The JV has engaged with ports and regional and local institutions to ensure the best possible integration of the Botafogo floating offshore wind farm into the region.
IberBlue Wind vice president Adrián de Andrés said: “Figueira da Foz is a region with great potential. Besides the high wind strengths and the existing port infrastructure, it’s located near to the centre of the country where there is significant demand for energy from both industrial and private consumers”.
The Botafogo floating offshore wind farm is expected to generate thousands of jobs.
The majority of the jobs created will be related to the development and construction phase of the offshore wind project, while the remaining are expected to be for the operation and maintenance of the wind turbines during their operational life.
