Canary Islands Aim for 300MW of Offshore Wind by 2025

Canary Islands, Spain, are targeting 300MW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2025 as part of an objective to have 45% of renewable energy in their energy mix by that time. 

To hit the offshore wind energy target, the government of Canary Islands wants to start with an area of 140 km² in the south-east of the island of Gran Canaria to develop commercial offshore generation technologies and test prototypes, which will be done in collaboration with PLOCAN that runs the test site where Spain’s first offshore wind turbine was recently installed.

According to the deputy minister of Industry and Energy of the Canary Islands Government, Gonzalo Piernavieja, conversations with the Spanish central government are underway to start the process of designating the area for wind energy. Some 130 km² of the area will be used for floating wind power generation.

The deputy minister revealed this at the PLOCAN facilities on 8 July, when a Japanese delegation visited the test site after attending a conference in Bilbao, Navarre and Madrid.

This was organised by PLOCAN in collaboration with the CDTI (Centre for Industrial Technological Development), NEDO (Organisation for Technological Development and New Energies of Japan) and the JWPA (Japan Wind Power Association).

The purpose of the Japanese delegation’s visit was to get a better idea of the capabilities of the Spanish offshore wind industry and identify future challenges that can be tackled jointly, PLOCAN said, adding that Japan is one of the countries with the best forecasted growth of the offshore wind market in the short to medium-term, with special interest in floating wind turbines for deep waters.

Offshore WIND Staff