The Azimut Offshore Wind Energy 2020 project includes 11 companies and 22 research centres specialising in offshore wind energy technologies. The aim is to generate the know-how required to develop a large-scale offshore wind turbine using Spanish technology.

The offshore wind project will involve a total investment of €25 million over the next four years, and is co-financed by participating companies.

The initiative is scheduled to be finalised in 2013 with subsequent development around 2020.

Gamesa says the initial objective call for the development of a 15 MW offshore wind turbine that can overcome the technical and financial hurdles facing the rollout of offshore wind power. These include availability, foundations, transmission and costs.

Gamesa will head activities related to offshore wind energy capture; Acciona Windpower will be responsible for electricity conversion technologies; Alstom Wind will manage the marine structure and substructure segment; Acciona Energia will head construction, operation and maintenance at offshore sites; and Iberdrola Renovables will be managing the integration of offshore wind energy into the grid.

Azimut has been approved by Spain’s Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI), a unit of the Science and Innovation Ministry, within the framework of the 6th round of research and development grants through the Cenit (National Strategic Consortium in Technical Research) Programme.

Other participants include Tecnicas Reunidas, Ingeteam, Ingeciber, Imatia, Tecnitest Ingenieros and DIgSILENT Iberica.