X1 Wind, a developer of floating wind technology, has officially opened a new office in Navarra, which will be responsible for designing and implementing electrical, communication, and control systems for floating wind platforms.
The new offices will primarily host X1 Wind’s electrical department, which includes five electrical engineers led by Adrián Oliva, Electrical & SCADA Manager. Additionally, the offices will include an industrial engineer from the operations department.
Adrián Oliva stated, “The opening of this workspace in Tafalla not only strengthens our commitment to technological innovation but also allows us to leverage local talent and closely collaborate with regional companies to drive the development of floating wind power. At X1 Wind, we are firmly committed to this center as our entire division of Electrical Engineering, Control and Instrumentation Engineering, Communications Engineering, and SCADA will be developed entirely in the Comunidad Foral.”
From left to right, Iñaki Larraya Garayalde, Managing Director of the Society for the Development of Navarra (Sodena), Mikel Irujo Amezaga, Minister of Industry and of Business Ecological and Digital Transition of the Government of Navarra, Alex Raventos, CEO of X1 Wind, and Adrián Oliva, Electrical & SCADA Manager.
The company has chosen Navarra due to its strategic national position and extensive experience in wind energy, with over 50 operational wind farms, mostly onshore.
Located in Tafalla, the new offices will facilitate X1 Wind’s interactions with both public and private entities in the Comunidad Foral for the development of floating offshore wind projects.
X1 Wind’s establishment in the Comunidad Foral has been supported by Sodena, a public entity under the Government of Navarra responsible for attracting investments from outside Navarra.
Alex Raventos, CEO of X1 Wind, expressed, “The opening of our new office in Navarra represents another step forward for the advancement of floating wind power in Spain. This center will not only allow us to collaborate closely with local companies and leverage the vast wind energy experience of the region but also foster the creation of high-quality jobs in areas where such opportunities are typically scarce. We are excited about the support received from the Government of Navarra and Sodena and trust that this alliance will strengthen our goal of promoting technological innovation and energy transition.”
Currently, X1 Wind’s team in Navarra is expanding the network of local companies to collaborate on platform testing, equipment supply, and custom electrical cabinet manufacturing.
Iñaki Larraya Garayalde, Managing Director of Sodena, commented, “The establishment of X1 Wind in Navarra is excellent news as it reinforces the industrial renewable energy sector historically supported by Sodena, which continues to be a priority for this public entity.”
In alignment with this initiative, since 2022, the Government of Navarra has been committed to the political declaration of the “Arco Atlántico de la Conferencia de Regiones Periféricas y Marítimas (CRPM)”. This declaration includes a commitment to promoting offshore wind energy, simplifying project procedures, and facilitating access to funding for R&D projects in this field. Additionally, it proposes creating a macro-region to strengthen this governance structure and urge the Council to grant a mandate to the European Commission for its development.
X1 Wind is a disruptive floating wind technology developer. Based in Barcelona, Spain, the firm’s mission is to provide highly scalable solutions which deliver clean, affordable energy while reducing carbon emissions across the globe. The company’s unique floating wind concept was initially developed by Carlos Casanovas in 2012 while studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), before progressing with the patented technology for almost a decade. In recent years, X1 Wind has rapidly progressed its technology, having successfully executed several tank testing campaigns and completed the design, assembly, installation and testing of a full-featured part-scale demonstrator in the Canary Islands. It has recently been selected by the European Commission to deliver the NextFloat and NextFloat+ projects, an ambitious program accelerating industrial-scale floating wind, together with Technip Energies and other industry leading partners. The company has steadily been building a world-class team of experts in the offshore wind industry and related sectors.