The PlemCat test site, a dedicated infrastructure for developing pioneering and innovative floating offshore wind projects within the LEBA 1 commercial area in the Spanish Mediterranean Sea, has successfully obtained its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval. This critical regulatory milestone clears the path for the NextFloat Project, which involves the deployment of X1 Wind’s X100 8.5MW platform.
From a technical and regulatory perspective in Spain, obtaining a favorable EIA under the criteria of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) means passing the country’s most rigorous environmental evaluation. This resolution officially guarantees that the PlemCat test site and its projects have undergone exhaustive planning and certifies their full compatibility with environmental protection, the preservation of the marine environment, and local biodiversity.
“Obtaining the EIA for the PlemCat site is a key achievement for the NextFloat project,” said Alex Raventõs, X1 Wind CEO and co-founder. “Coupled with our recent achievement of DNV’s Basic Design Certification, it demonstrates that our technology is safe, environmentally responsible, and ready for deployment. This brings us one massive step closer to making floating offshore wind cost-competitive globally.”
The NextFloat Project, led by Technip Energies and X1 Wind, will deploy X1 Wind’s Tension-Leg Platform (TLP) with the cost-efficiency of semi-submersible structures. A key environmental advantage of the TLP mooring system is its drastic reduction of the seabed footprint compared to traditional catenary lines, thanks to its vertical mooring lines. This minimal impact allows the platform to coexist with vital marine activities, such as fisheries and scientific research. Additionally, the avoidance of chains and the use of vertically tensioned synthetic mooring lines avoid dragging the seabed and minimize underwater noise, supporting better integration with marine fauna.
Driven by a tripod-shaped design, the X100 platform, suitable for turbines of 160-meter diameter, allows achieving a primary steel weight of only 1,500 tons. This translates to an estimated weight saving of 30 percent to 50 percent compared to traditional steel floaters installed in European pre-commercial projects of a similar scale. This environmental approval directly complements the NextFloat Project’s major recent technical validation. The X100 platform recently received a Statement of Compliance (SoC) for Basic Design from DNV.
This independent endorsement confirms that the X100 design meets rigorous international safety, engineering, and technical requirements. By combining this DNV certification with the newly acquired EIA, the NextFloat project now possesses both the technical and environmental green lights required for a safe and successful offshore deployment.
“Securing this environmental approval is a testimony to the collaborative effort of all our partners and highlights the minimal environmental footprint of this innovative platform,” said Jacques Vendé, Technip Energies project manager. “We are now in a strong position to advance through the remaining financial close phase toward our commercial scale pilot deployment in the Mediterranean Sea, paving the way for a future of low-cost floating offshore wind.”
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