ENERGO: Bulgaria’s first offshore wind project to power gas platform

Bulgaria’s first offshore wind turbine will be used to power an existing gas platform in the Black Sea. The 5-MW floating wind turbine, the Black Sea Floating Offshore Wind (BLOW) project, will be developed by France’s Eolink, along with 15 European energy companies, including Petroceltic.

The budget for BLOW is €21mn ($22.8mn). In a press release, Eolink said it had received a grant from the EU Commission.

Eolink has developed a pyramidal floating foundation that is able to rotate and face the wind naturally, which it says optimises costs and maximises performance.

The first of Eolink’s pre-commercial floating wind turbines – a 20-MW project – is expected to be installed at the SEM-REV test site, off the coast from Le Croisic in France, in 2023. Established renewables company Acciona Energía of Spain has acquired 24% of the capital of the French start-up.