Ocean Winds is the result of a joint venture
announced in 2019 by EDP Renewables (EDPR) and
ENGIE. Both companies share the vision in which
renewables, particularly offshore wind, play a key
role in the global energy transition. That is why they
created a 50-50 joint venture for offshore wind.
OW has a strategic advantage and is well positioned
to play a leading role in the offshore market. EDPR
and ENGIE are combining their offshore wind
assets and project pipeline under OW, beginning
with 1.5 GW under construction and 4.0 GW under
development, with the target of reaching 5-7 GW of
projects in operation or construction and 5-10 GW
under advanced development by 2025. OW’s primary
target markets are in Europe, the United States and
selected Asian countries, from where most of the
growth is expected to come.
This ambitious joint venture comes in the wake
of EDPR’s and ENGIE’s successful five-year
cooperation as consortium partners.
This starting position, and, together with both
parent companies’ successful internationalization
experience, allows us to be more flexible, more
adaptive and more respectful towards the cultures
we chose to work in.
OW, A BRAND MADE BY THE WIND
The first brand created using the sound of the
wind on the high seas.
The origin of the OW brand is no coincidence.
When EDPR and ENGIE were looking for a name
for the new business they brought in a team of
scientists who could help to identify the sound of
the wind in the Roman alphabet. They developed a
specific algorithm and equipment to transcribe into
letters the sound of the wind recorded offshore
over a 48-hour period. The two most commonly
occurring letters were “O” and “W”, thus giving rise to
the name Ocean Winds.
Ow’s vision is to innovate towards a carbon neutral
world using the wind’s flexibility to adapt to new
environments and its power to move us towards
more sustainable options. Its mission is to lead the
offshore wind into one of the main energy sources
by delivering more efficient and sustainable wind
energy solutions. OW values stand at the very core
of the brand. They are the centre from which every
wind blows including the brand’s image, voice
and relations. These values reflect company’s
personality and aim to build a valuable relationship
with all stakeholders.
INNOVATION: FLOATING TECHNOLOGY
In the framework of WFA Project and together
with other partners, OW was involved in the
development of an innovative floating technology
which allows to harness wind resources and
generate electricity in places where water is too
deep for fixed-foundation turbines, gaining access
to the wealth of wind resources which were
previously inaccessible. These innovative farms also
permit lowering product costs and ensure more
stable wind speeds.
The innovative focus of the technology was
the design of a floating offshore wind, based
on experience from the oil and gas industry, to
support multi-MW floating wind turbines in offshore
applications. The floating is semi-submersible and
anchored to the seabed. Its stability is achieved via
water entrapment plates at the bottom of the three
columns, and a static and dynamic ballast system.
Its mooring technology, for example, allows for
installation in waters over 100 m deep, and its
design offers stability in adverse weather and sea
conditions. Another key advantage was the assembly
technology used: dry-dock assembly provided
significant logistical and financial savings, and the
platforms were towed using standard tug boats.
OW uses this floating technology and the traditional
bottom-fixed technology in the offshore farms of its
projects.