The initiative aims to strengthen the Basque Country’s value chain by installing an experimental wind farm with three turbines and a total capacity of 45 MW.
- GEROA will follow the 2 MW DemoSATH prototype project, which SAITEC will install at BiMEP in 2022.
- The project aims to demonstrate the capabilities of Basque industry in preparation for larger future projects.
- The electricity generated will be equivalent to the energy consumption of 45,000 households.
GEROA (Green Energy Research for Offshore Atlantic) is a floating offshore wind pilot farm located 10 km off the Basque coast near Bilbao. Promoted by ITSAS WIND, S.L. (SAITEC Group), the project will use SAITEC’s SATH concrete floating platform technology to install three 15 MW turbines, with commissioning estimated for 2025.
After months of work on project development, site planning and the assessment of potential impacts and mitigation measures, the project began its environmental impact assessment process on Monday 14 June by submitting the Initial Project Document. With this first step in the permitting process, SAITEC demonstrates its intention to make the project a reality within a relatively short timeframe. The aim is for the wind farm to begin operation in 2025, serving as a pilot and an intermediate milestone before large-scale wind farms are built in Spain.
GEROA will help advance offshore wind in Spain by demonstrating the technical and environmental viability of floating offshore wind and its significant decarbonisation potential. It will also promote local employment and the consolidation of the Basque value chain as an offshore wind hub.
GEROA represents a national commitment to the future of marine renewable energy and addresses climate change, one of the greatest challenges facing our generation. With only a few years left to act before it is too late to meet the Paris Agreement, GEROA will support the energy transition and the development of renewable energy technologies and industry. It will also have an economic impact across the Iberian Peninsula through job creation, production and exports.
GEROA is also the natural next step after the 2 MW DemoSATH prototype, which is currently under construction in the Port of Bilbao and will be tested for two years in real marine conditions at the BiMEP (Biscay Marine Energy Platform) test site.
The GEROA project was announced today at the sixth Spanish Wind Power Congress in Madrid by David Carrascosa, Chief Operating Officer at Saitec Offshore, who was a guest speaker on the offshore wind panel.
David Carrascosa said: “It is vital to develop pre-commercial projects such as GEROA as test beds, both for the industry involved and for public authorities, so that we can all gain experience together before the forthcoming auctions for commercial projects.”
