ACS is awarded 480 MW of offshore wind energy in the United Kingdom

ACS, through its subsidiary Cobra Instalaciones y Servicios, and in a joint venture with the Scottish Flotation Energy, has been awarded a capacity of 480 megawatts (MW) in the United Kingdom for the development and installation of a wind turbine park at sea. For its part, Iberdrola has not been able to win any lot in the mega-auction held, since RWE Renewables, BP and the German energy company EnBW; and Total, in alliance with Macquarie, were the auction winners.

The company has obtained this package through an auction in which it has offered a price of 93,233 pounds per MW per year, which results in an annual payment of 44.7 million pounds (51 million euros) per year, according to The Crown Estate, the successful bidder.

During the 10 preparatory years in which the company will develop and build the plant, this payment will amount to a total of 510 million euros, before the wind turbines come into operation for an estimated period of 60 years.

The area awarded to ACS to install its offshore wind power plant is located off the coast of Liverpool, in the Irish Sea, where the average depth is 34 meters, which favors the development of the park with lower costs.

The 480 MW capacity will allow the supply of clean energy to 446,000 British homes and the reduction of more than 750,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere, once it begins operations at the end of this decade.

The auction has been settled, in total, with the award of 7.98 gigawatts (GW) of capacity, the big winner of the process being the German power company RWE Renewables, which has been awarded 3 GW at a lower price than the Spanish.

RWE has acquired two packages, one at 76,203 pounds per MW per year and another at 88,900 pounds per MW per year, 18% and 6% less than the offer launched by Cobra, which represents an annual outlay of 247.6 million pounds.

A consortium of oil company BP and German energy company EnBW has also been awarded another 3 GW, albeit at a higher price. Its offer has reached 154,000 pounds per MW per year, 65% higher than ACS’s offer, which has meant a payment of 462 million pounds, which the British and the German will have to pay annually for the next 10 years.

The last package has been taken by the French oil company Total in consortium with a Scottish investment group controlled by Macquarie (Green Investment Group), for 124.5 million pounds, a price per annual MW 11% lower than ACS.

In proportion, the ACS subsidiary has taken 6% of the capacity at stake, but its annual payment of 44.7 million pounds represents only 5% of the 879 million pounds (1,000 million euros) annually that it adds the complete project and whose first year all the companies have already contributed as an advance.