The Canary Islands Maritime Cluster, within the framework of the promotion of its international business brand Canary Islands Suppliers (www.canaryislandssuppliers.com), and its SMART BLUE (Activity 2.3.3) and INTERPORT (Activity 2.2.2)projects included in the INTERREG-MAC 2014-2020 programme, organises, during the morning of 12th of December, B2B business meetings between the entity that is going to develop the “X1 Wind” project and various Canary Islands companies that can participate in its supply chain.

The Island of Gran Canaria, thanks to the work carried out by the Canary Islands Oceanic Platform, has been configured as the European offshore wind energy laboratory of Spain after the first installation last June, a kilometre and a half away from the coast of Gran Canaria, of the offshore wind turbine manufactured in our country.

The second prototype to come is the “X1 Wind” and would also be located in Gran Canaria, in the vicinity of the Canary Islands Oceanic Platform (Plocan), which would serve as logistical support and monitoring. The new device has a Spanish patent, is backed by “Horizon 2020” funds from the EU and was presented last October in Copenhagen. The prototype works with three small floats on which a pyramid of beams is placed, resulting in savings in tons of steel. The process simplifies installation and makes it unnecessary to rent crane ships. Of the three floats, only one is anchored to the seabed. It makes it possible to turn when the turbine is facing the wind.

The difference of the concept with respect to those that are currently known is that the wind must come from behind and not from the front as with conventional wind turbines. The rotor blades, which today easily reach lengths of 120 meters or more, do not have to be so rigid. This recoil turbine, so to speak, will have five megawatts of power. The first pilot project would be completed by 2020 or 2021 although the system would begin to be created in 2019.

Based on the needs posed by the project management to the Canary Islands Maritime Cluster, the meetings organised have been with the following companies: QSTAR, BOLUDA, GROSA, GRUAS Y ELEVADORES, TRANSPORTES Y GRÚAS CARBALLO, REPROSUB, ACOSTA INGENIERÍA SUBACUÁTICA, PROSUB CANARIAS, J.A. AROCHA.