PortCastelló attracts offshore wind industry operators at WindEurope

2024-03-22. PortCastelló has set out its stall at the WindEurope conference and exhibition in Bilbao as a flagship port in the offshore wind energy industry. The surface area it has available and its strategic location enhance its appeal to operators in Spain and other Mediterranean countries such as France and Italy. “These strengths mean the Port of Castellon is an extremely attractive option for offshore wind firms not only in Spain but also in countries including France and Italy which have turned to our port,” said the Chairman of the Port Authority of Castellon, Rubén Ibáñez.

Rubén Ibáñez noted that the Port of Castellon is the port facility with the largest surface area available for new businesses to set up shop thanks to the expansion project at its South Dock. He pointed to the upcoming milestones which will make this possible including the completion of the enclosing breakwater, “which will be concluded in eight months so we can infill the esplanade and put the construction project out to tender.”

This initiative is a significant step in the Port of Castellon’s development plan and “reflects our port’s commitment to sustainability and our expansion strategy.” It will enable 450,000 square metres to be recovered from the sea for new businesses to start trading.

The Chairman of the Port Authority of Castellon said that “this investment is a priority and included in our investment plan which we are going to submit to the State-owned Ports Body in April.”

Rubén Ibáñez gave a “tremendously positive” assessment of the Port of Castellon’s participation at WindEurope “because we have been able to see first-hand the Port of Castellon’s significance for future offshore wind operators.”

He added that “we have achieved our goal of forging and enhancing business and networking relationships with wind industry professionals to position ourselves as the offshore wind energy powerhouse in the Mediterranean.” The Port Authority of Castellon’s strategy is to become a hub for floating offshore wind energy so as to diversify its throughput and make the port more sustainable.

WindEurope 2024 is the preeminent European wind energy event and is being held until today in Bilbao. It welcomes wind farm developers and operators, manufacturers of wind turbines, foundations, towers and other equipment along with shipyards and seaports.

A delegation from the Port of Castellon has travelled to Bilbao led by its Chairman, Rubén Ibáñez, accompanied by the Director of PortCastelló, Manuel García, the Head of the Expansion Department, Adolfo Noguero, and Sales and Marketing Manager Arantxa Barrachina.

The exhibition has featured meetings with companies including Iberdrola and Acciona Offshore Wind, Europort, Integral Shipping and Saitecó Total Energies. This means PortCastelló is aligned with the European Union’s strategy which has set a target of producing at least 45% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. Offshore wind power will play a key role in achieving this goal included in the EU Strategy on offshore renewable energy endorsed by the European Parliament which pursues twin objectives: decarbonising electricity production and lessening the continent’s reliance on Russian hydrocarbons. Europe has set a target for the immediate future of having at least 111 GW in installed offshore wind power capacity by 2030 which is over 100% more than the initial plan.