The Department of Business and Employment, through Avançsa, has closed an agreement with X1 Wind, a company dedicated to developing floating offshore wind technology, through Avançsa’s Extraordinary Projects Line. The agreement is part of a global €3 million transaction, which begins with a €550,000 participating loan. The Catalan Energy Institute also participated in this transaction.

Carlos Casanovas and Alex Raventós, the company’s co-founders, founded it in 2017, with over 20 years of experience in the marine renewable energy sector. Since then, they have rapidly advanced their technological development and secured private investment, accompanied by numerous awards, recognitions, and financial support from leading organizations such as InnoEnergy, the H2020 program, the EIC Accelerator, the CDTI (Spanish Institute of Technology), ENISA, and ACCIÓ.

The solution provided by X1 Wind is embodied in the PivotBuoy system, an innovative floating platform that combines a lightweight tripod-shaped design with a single-point mooring system (“Single Point Mooring”), which optimizes the floating platform by reducing the amount of material by 40%, as well as the impact on the seabed thanks to the use of vertical lines that avoid the drag and noise of current systems with catenaries, also allowing its installation in deeper waters.

Focused on positioning itself as a technology and services provider, the company has achieved important milestones such as the validation of its technology in different laboratories, the demonstration of its first PivotBuoy project in the Canary Islands under the PLOCAN (Canary Islands Ocean Platform) pilot, and the financing obtained for the development of the NextFloat project within the framework of PLEMCAT (Catalan Marine Energy R&D&I Platform), which will allow the deployment and testing of the first pre-commercial unit in the Mediterranean Sea.

The X1 Wind project generates a significant impact on the ecosystem, creating skilled employment in Catalonia, developing local suppliers, and providing environmental benefits derived from its potential to generate renewable energy. This agreement contributes to promoting strategic industrial autonomy, boosting the international reach of Catalan companies, strengthening the resilience of the business community, and providing industrial value chains with their own capacity.

Alliances such as those between Avançsa and X1 Wind demonstrate the ability to strengthen the Catalan ecosystem and consolidate the region’s economic and business fabric by attracting investment and creating job opportunities.

Minister of Business and Employment, Miquel Sàmper : “The X1 Wind project represents a clear commitment to the future of our industry and to a sustainable and innovative energy transition.”

“Supporting initiatives like this is consistent with the national strategy we promote through Catalonia Leads: a strategy that prioritizes support for transformative projects with the capacity for global impact and deep territorial roots.”

Alex Raventos , CEO of X1 Wind : “We appreciate Avançsa’s trust in the X1 Wind project, a demonstration of the commitment we share to technological innovation, the promotion of talent and the contribution to the energy transition of Catalonia and Europe in the global context.

Clàudia Canals, CEO of Avançsa : “This agreement represents an important milestone in our shared challenge of stimulating high-impact projects for the sustainable energy transition.”

“Institutional support and leadership are essential to making technological developments with a positive environmental impact and great potential for generating renewable energy a reality.”