Ørsted and Acciona sign MoU for further exploration of floating offshore wind foundations

The two companies will work together to reduce floating wind levelised cost of electricity (LCoE) and environmental footprint, industrialise the fabrication of concrete foundations, and establish a European supply chain to support Ørsted’s European project pipeline for floating wind.

Floating wind is gaining momentum. Experts are estimating more than 20 % of new offshore wind farms will be floating by the mid-2030s. Ørsted is taking steps to commercialise floating wind technology which is why the collaboration comes in handy.

Rasmus Errboe, Executive Vice President and CEO of Region Europe at Ørsted, says: “The goal of our collaboration with Acciona is to take floating wind from the innovation to the industrialisation stage. Ørsted intends to further grow our European floating pipeline, with Spain being a key market of interest for us. Advancing floating wind technology and bringing it to market is a key strategic aim for Ørsted’s floating wind programme, and supply chain partnerships are the way to do just that.”

A key element of the Ørsted-Acciona MoU will be to jointly explore the use of carbon-neutral bio-cement, bio-concrete, and other materials and solutions that support Ørsted’s and Acciona’s biodiversity and carbon reduction goals.

Huberto Moreno, CEO of Acciona’s construction division, says: “This alliance will help us accelerate the development of our business as a supplier of offshore platforms for the wind power industry. The expertise that Ørsted brings to the table, as well as Acciona’s knowledge – as a group – of infrastructure and renewable energy, will be key to the success of this agreement.”