NER 300 backs floating wind energy, concentrated solar power

Floating wind turbines and concentrated solar power (CSP) demonstration projects were among those selected for funding under the European Commission’s (EC’s) NER 300 programme.

NER 300 – which uses revenue from the EU Emissions Trading Scheme to back pre-commercial clean energy initiatives – handed out about €1bn ($1.36bn) to 19 schemes.

The Spanish BALEA and FloCan5 floating wind power projects each get up to about €34m.

BALEA will place two 5 MW and two 8 MW wind turbines on floating foundations in the Bay of Biscay, said the EC.

FloCan5 will see five 5MW machines on semi-submersible concrete foundations up to 3.7km off Grand Canaria.

The concentrated solar power (CSP) projects picked for NER 300 funding are EOS Green Energy’s innovative 50MW scheme near Limassol, Cyprus, and Italy’s Mazara Solar initiative. They get up to €60m and €40m respectively.