October 9, 2024
Deep Dive: the critical role of ports in Floating Offshore Wind development.
Over the past week, BlueFloat Energy has taken part in two important events focused on the contribution of ports to the energy transition and the challenges and opportunities facing the offshore wind industry:
2-4 October: At the National Congress of the Spanish Association of Ports and Coasts (organized by Puertos del Estado and Autoridad Portuaria de A Coruña) in A Coruña, Daniel González Martín, Concrete Industrialization Senior Manager at BlueFloat Energy, presented the paper “Ports for the Floating Offshore Wind Industry: A Developer’s Perspective.” Daniel emphasized, “Without ports, there is no offshore wind,” underscoring that “this is an industry we are building together.” He highlighted the critical need for collaboration between State Ports, Port Authorities, developers, and the local, regional, and global supply chain.
The paper, produced by BlueFloat Energy (co-authored by Jorge Porres, Daniel González Martín, Walid Oulmane & Brice Le Normand), underscores that ports are a “critical link in the supply chain and a strategic asset” for the execution, operation, and maintenance of floating offshore wind farms. According to the study, “the resilience of port developments, alongside short-, medium-, and long-term planning, are key to overcoming the challenges of this industry.” Collaboration among key stakeholders and a holistic vision are essential to build, adapt, and expand the necessary infrastructure, enabling ports to become a strategic link in the floating offshore wind supply chain.
8 October: At the “2nd Day of Economy and Sustainability: The Offshore Wind Industry’s Value Chain” hosted by fundación Port Castelló, Daniel joined the roundtable “Port Requirements for the Upcoming Offshore Market.” He discussed the potential for offshore wind in the Western Mediterranean and the challenges of adapting port infrastructure to meet the needs of this emerging industry.
“Ports play a strategic role in the growth of the offshore wind sector. Their capacity to host manufacturing facilities, assemble large-scale structures, and facilitate logistics is key to the success of future projects,” commented Daniel.
