Ocean Winds, a joint venture between EDP Renováveis and Engie, is marking five years of operations at WindFloat Atlantic, the world’s first semi-submersible floating offshore wind farm. Located around 20 kilometres off the coast of Portugal, the 25-megawatt facility has delivered a total of 345 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity since its launch, equivalent to the annual consumption of approximately 25,000 Portuguese households.
“After five years of operation, we are proud of the performance of the WindFloat Atlantic project in producing clean energy,” said José Miguel Pinheiro, Ocean Winds’ director for Iberia. “The innovative nature of the project has provided valuable insights regarding the behaviour of floating technology, its interaction with the marine environment, and its potential for synergy with the community.”
Electricity output from the three-turbine facility has increased steadily over time, reaching 78GWh in 2022, 80GWh in 2023, and 86GWh in 2024, according to the company. Ocean Winds said the project continues to demonstrate the technological maturity and commercial viability of floating offshore wind, positioning Portugal as a leader in the global energy transition.
To commemorate the anniversary, Ocean Winds is hosting a series of events, including the unveiling of a commemorative plaque at the project’s operations and maintenance base, and an institutional dinner aboard the Portuguese Navy’s training ship NRP Sagres. The events are expected to bring together representatives from government, industry, academia, and local communities.
The company has also released a report titled WindFloat Atlantic: Five years generating clean energy. Living the power of floating offshore wind, which outlines the project’s contributions to the Portuguese energy system, its environmental performance, and its role in advancing the European supply chain for floating wind.
Ocean Winds noted that WindFloat Atlantic draws on more than 15 years of development experience, from the WindFloat1 prototype to full-scale deployment. The lessons learned are expected to inform future floating offshore wind projects as the sector moves toward commercial-scale implementation.
