en.Wedoany.com Reported - Spain's Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) has issued a positive Environmental Impact Statement (DIA) for the PlemCat floating offshore wind test site in the Gulf of Roses in the Mediterranean Sea, clearing a key regulatory hurdle for the NextFloat project led by X1 Wind. The statement has been published in Spain's Official State Gazette. X1 Wind stated that the approval of this DIA means the project has passed Spain's most stringent environmental assessment, demonstrating that the planning of the PlemCat test site and its project is compatible with the environment, marine ecology, and local biodiversity. The DIA is an indispensable prerequisite for constructing offshore wind facilities and occupying the maritime-terrestrial public domain in any Spanish waters.

The NextFloat project is jointly led by Technip Energies and X1 Wind. X1 Wind's technology combines the stability and low environmental impact of a tension leg platform (TLP) with the cost-effectiveness of a semi-submersible structure. Its vertical mooring lines significantly reduce the seabed footprint, using vertical tensioned synthetic mooring lines without chains to avoid dragging the seabed and minimize underwater noise, facilitating coexistence with marine activities such as fishing and scientific research.

The X100 platform is designed for turbines with a diameter of 160 meters, with a main steel weight of 1,500 tons. Developers claim that compared to traditional steel floats in similar pre-commercial offshore wind projects in Europe, this platform can save approximately 30% to 50% in weight. The platform will carry a downwind turbine with a rated capacity of 8.5 megawatts. X1 Wind and Technip are also developing the X150 platform for turbines with a power output exceeding 20 megawatts.

According to the plan, the NextFloat pilot project will operate under real conditions at the PlemCat test site for several years, providing key data to support the final certification of the prototype and drive commercial-scale deployment. The project is supported by private capital and two EU-funded projects (NextFloat and NextFloat+), and is funded under the French government's "France 2030" plan framework through the PareF project and Spain's RenMarinas plan.

X1 Wind noted that the approval of the DIA for PlemCat directly complements recent technical validation. The X100 pre-commercial platform has received a basic design compliance certificate from DNV, one of the most stringent certification bodies in the global energy and marine industry. X1 Wind stated that this independent recognition confirms that the X100 design meets strict international technical, engineering, and safety requirements. Combined with the DIA and environmental permits, the NextFloat project now has the technical and environmental clearance required for safe offshore deployment.

Alex Raventós, CEO and co-founder of X1 Wind, stated that obtaining the DIA for the PlemCat site is a key achievement for the project, and together with the DNV certification, demonstrates that the technology is safe and environmentally responsible. Jacques Vendé, NextFloat Project Manager at Technip Energies, said that this environmental approval highlights the minimal environmental footprint of the innovative platform, and the project team will advance the remaining financing stages to achieve commercial-scale pilot deployment.

Headquartered in Barcelona, X1 Wind describes itself as a "disruptive floating offshore wind technology developer." Its technology concept was initially conceived by founder Carlos Casanovas at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the company completed the world's first fully operational TLP floating offshore wind platform that transmits power to the grid at a partial-scale prototype in the Canary Islands. The team is currently focused on advancing commercial projects, scaling up and industrializing the design of pre-commercial and commercial installations. Technip Energies is an engineering and technology solutions company involved in liquefied natural gas, brown hydrogen, and carbon dioxide management, with over 17,000 employees across 34 countries. The company acquired a 16.3% stake in X1 Wind in February 2022.