PortCastelló drives offshore wind industrial hub in southern dock
Cubierto por 3 fuentesPublicado
- Port castelloPortCastelló presenta en ENERMAR su estrategia para albergar un hub industrial de energía eólica marina
- diario del puertoPortCastelló presenta en ENERMAR su estrategia para la eólica marina
- Portal PortuarioPortCastelló presenta estrategia para albergar hub industrial de energía eólica marina
The Port Authority of Castellón (PortCastelló) presented in Valencia, during the 16th ENERMAR Technical Conference, its roadmap to transform the port's southern dock into an industrial hub dedicated to the manufacturing, assembly and logistics of components for floating offshore wind. PortCastelló's director, Manuel J. García, outlined the technical, regulatory and financial milestones of a project that is part of the institution's Investment Plan and which got underway in 2024 with the backing of international firms from the offshore wind sector.
Financing
The project falls under the PORT-EOLMAR programme, funded through NextGenerationEU European funds, following negotiations by PortCastelló with the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITERD). According to PortCastelló and Diario del Puerto, IDAE approved a grant of 50,833,000 euros to co-finance a total execution budget of 74.99 million euros. Portal Portuario, however, put the grant at USD 55 million and the total budget at USD 80 million.
Institutional endorsement
The viability of the initiative was backed by the unanimous approval of the Port Authority's Board of Directors and by a Favorable Compatibility Report with the Marine Strategy of the Levantine-Balearic Demarcation, issued by MITECO's Directorate-General for the Coast and the Sea, which ensures respect for marine environmental values.
Construction phases
The redesign of the southern dock will be carried out in stages. Phase I, running from 2027 to 2029, will begin in the third quarter of 2027 with the construction of a 471-metre-long quay at -20 metres draft and an additional 154-metre stretch at -16 metres draft, along with dredging works. The project sets aside exclusively a 28.55-hectare plot for the offshore wind industry, alongside areas for dry bulk cargo and multipurpose terminals. Handover of the industrial land and the start of specific works are scheduled for the second quarter of 2031, with production slated to begin in 2034.
Director García stated that the project reflects strategic planning initiated in 2024 and that the backing of the European Union, together with the sector's interest, confirms that PortCastelló has the operational conditions and draft capacity to lead the energy transition in the Mediterranean, acting as a driver of sustainable investment, the blue economy and skilled employment for the region.
