The Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN) took center stage in Europe’s marine renewable energy strategy today by participating in the kick-off meeting of HiPoTeSis (High Power Test Sites to consolidate industrialisation of Floating Offshore Wind in Europe). This initiative brings together Europe’s leading test centers to prepare a transnational infrastructure capable of testing floating wind turbines rated above 10 MW before their commercial deployment.
HiPoTeSis has been created to deliver a coordinated response to a clear gap: Europe currently lacks a test site able to accommodate the new generation of high-power floating turbines (greater than 10 megawatts). The project will define a shared European vision, a concrete action plan, and the technical, regulatory, and financial requirements needed to develop this network of test facilities across the Atlantic arc, aligned with other basins such as the Mediterranean and the North Sea.
“The offshore wind industry is advancing toward giant turbines, which are essential to meet the goals of the European Green Deal. However, most existing test sites were designed for smaller prototypes. HiPoTeSis is being launched to unblock this bottleneck and to test these technologies in real-sea conditions,” explained PLOCAN’s director, José Joaquín Hernández Brito.
Running through December 2027, the initiative is part of the Interreg Atlantic Area program and has a total budget of €2,351,864.40, co-funded at 75% by the ERDF. Alongside PLOCAN, the consortium includes OPEN-C Foundation (France) as coordinator, BiMEP (Basque Country, Spain), CEO/da Energia Oceânica (Portugal), SEAI/AMETS (Ireland), and Norwegian Offshore Wind / METCentre (Norway).
Associated partners CNR-INM (Italy), IREC / PLEMCAT (Spain) and the European Marine Energy Centre – EMEC (United Kingdom) also take part, providing links to the Mediterranean and northern Europe and helping to align the Atlantic vision with those basins.
PLOCAN assumes key responsibilities in HiPoTeSis. In addition to providing its test site, it will lead the core Strategy and Development work packages. Specifically, together with BiMEP, PLOCAN will drive regulatory harmonization by designing a common framework for permits and authorizations that will speed up procedures across the Atlantic, reduce bureaucracy for technology developers, define the business model and financing pathways, and deliver a development plan with timeline and risk analysis.
“With HiPoTeSis we are not only talking about technology: we are building the regulatory and financial motorway Europe needs to lead the world in floating wind. For the Canary Islands, being in the driver’s seat means attracting investment, creating skilled jobs, and reinforcing our role as a blue-innovation hub,” Hernández Brito noted.
“With HiPoTeSis we are not only talking about technology: we are building the regulatory and financial motorway Europe needs to lead the world in floating wind. For the Canary Islands, being in the driver’s seat means attracting investment, creating skilled jobs, and reinforcing our role as a blue-innovation hub,” Hernández Brito noted.
Floating offshore wind is essential to achieving Europe’s climate targets. According to project estimates and sector scenarios, offshore wind generation could reach 2,000 TWh per year by 2050, avoiding hundreds of millions of tonnes of CO₂ annually; investment in R&D and innovation accelerates efficiency while lowering costs and impacts.
