From left: Jerónimo Falcón López (Project Manager, Proexca); Pablo Martín Carbajal (Chief Executive Officer and CEO, Proexca); Kristian Petrick (Secretary General, Airborne Wind Europe); Casimiro Curbelo (President of the Cabildo Insular de La Gomera); Adasat Reyes Herrera (First Vice President of the Cabildo Insular de La Gomera).
The island Institution, the Airborne Wind Europe Association (AWEU) and Proexca cooperate to locate an AWES European Industry Center of Excellence on the island
President of the Cabildo of La Gomera, Casimiro Curbelo, highlights the opportunity of implementing this test center, which will allow the development of actions to convert wind energy into electrical energy
The Cabildo of La Gomera and the Airborne Wind Europe Association (AWEU), together with Proexca, signed a protocol to develop electricity generation tests on the island through the use of drones. Thus, both entities will cooperate to locate an AWES European Industry Center of Excellence in La Gomera.
The island president, Casimiro Curbelo, highlighted the opportunity for the island to be the European headquarters of a center of these characteristics, “which will allow progress in the development of actions that convert wind energy into electrical energy.” Likewise, he recalled that this agreement materialized after an in-depth feasibility study that has determined that the island territory meets the characteristics to locate these infrastructures and promote internationalization as an epicenter of technological development.
Furthermore, he insisted that this action allows promoting public-private cooperation for the development of the Estrategia Gomera36, “a transversal initiative promoted by the Cabildo together with the Government of Spain and the Government of the Canary Islands, with which the foundations have been laid for the sustainable transformation of the economic, social and environmental model of the island, through more than 200 projects in the next thirteen years.”
The signed protocol establishes that the island Institution will cooperate in the investment and operation phase of the AWES Center, while the association will focus on attracting financing linked to innovation and development for the island, along with the promotion of projects that are useful to said infrastructure, as clarified by Curbelo, together with the first vice president, Adasat Reyes.
On the other hand, the CEO of Proexca, Pablo Martín, highlighted that this project is the result of a previous task of attracting investments for the islands and its adaptation to the possibilities that the non-capital islands have to host them. In this way, he specified that in the case of La Gomera, with the development of this experience it is possible to advance in economic diversification, from the perspective of renewable energies and research and development.
AWES European Industry Center of Excellence in La Gomera
Airborne Wind Europe Secretary General, Kristian Petrick, detailed that the AWES European Industry Center of Excellence in La Gomera will have long-term testing capacity, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for two small systems – up to 100 kW – and two large systems – up to 500 kW -.
“Locating this center in La Gomera will provide benefits around new aerospace technologies, recognizing the island territory as an infrastructure unique worldwide in the field of aeronautical design and the generation of renewable energy through Airborne Wind Energy Systems (AWES),” Petrick said.
This research and development infrastructure will also contribute to the creation of quality research employment on the island, as well as in other sectors such as construction, operation and maintenance for the Center.
In addition, the energy generated by the Center’s flight tests will be used for self-sufficiency of the island, and may contribute to other water energy storage and desalination projects. With the initially planned sites of 1.2 MW, 10% of La Gomera’s current energy needs could be covered.