Spain has received the prototype of an innovative “self-installing” offshore wind turbine.
The 5MW turbine – the first of its kind in the country– was delivered to its final destination off the Canary Islands.
The technology allows the turbine tower and the wind turbine to be fully assembled in port, eliminating the need for large vessels and cranes during the installation and reducing the risks associated with assembly work at sea.
Developer ELICAN – which received almost €11.2 million (£10m) from the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme for the project – expects installation costs to be reduced by 30% to 40% compared to existing solutions.
The project will now monitor the performance of the entire system in open sea conditions and final results will be revealed in December.
