The Department of Business and Labour, through Avançsa, has signed an agreement with X1 Wind, a company dedicated to developing floating offshore wind technology, as part of Avançsa’s Extraordinary Projects Line.
Carlos Casanovas and Alex Raventós, co-founders of the company, established it in 2017, bringing over 20 years of experience in the marine renewable energy sector. Since then, they have rapidly advanced their technology, attracted private investment, and received multiple awards, recognition, and financial support from leading organisations such as InnoEnergy, the H2020 programme, the EIC Accelerator, CDTI, ENISA, and ACCIÓ.
X1 Wind’s project is generating significant ecosystem impact by creating high-skilled jobs in Catalonia, fostering local supplier development, and delivering environmental benefits through its renewable energy potential. This agreement helps promote strategic industrial autonomy, enhances the international visibility of Catalan companies, strengthens business resilience, and provides industrial value chains with greater internal capacity.
The agreement is part of a broader €3 million operation and is activated through a €550,000 convertible loan. The Catalan Energy Institute also participated in the operation.
From left to right: María Verges, Systems Engineering Manager at X1 Wind, Silvia Fontanet, Financial Controller at X1 Wind, Alex Raventos, CEO & Co-founder at X1 Wind, Clàudia Canals, CEO at Avançsa, Natàlia Clua Vives, Innovation and Projects Director at AVANÇSA, and Marian Fontseca Barnils, Financial Analyst at AVANÇSA.
“X1 Wind’s project represents a clear bet on the future of our industry and a sustainable, innovative energy transition. Supporting initiatives like this aligns with our Catalonia Lidera strategy—a national strategy that prioritises transformative projects with global impact and strong local roots.”, claimed Miquel Sàmper, Minister of Business and Labour.
X1 Wind’s solution is embodied in the PivotBuoy system—an innovative floating platform combining a lightweight tripod-like design with a single point mooring system. This optimises the floating structure by reducing material use by 40% and minimising seabed impact thanks to vertical mooring lines that avoid dragging and noise typical of catenary systems, while also enabling deployment in deeper waters.
With a focus on becoming a technology and service provider, the company has achieved key milestones such as validating its technology in various labs, demonstrating its first PivotBuoy project in the Canary Islands through the PLOCAN (Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands) pilot, and securing funding for the development of the NextFloat project within PLEMCAT (Catalonia’s R&D&I Platform for Marine Energies), which will enable deployment and testing of the first pre-commercial unit in the Mediterranean Sea.
Alliances like that between Avançsa and X1 Wind demonstrate the potential to strengthen Catalonia’s ecosystem and consolidate its business and economic fabric through investment attraction and job creation.
Alex Raventos, CEO of X1 Wind, express his gratitude towards the Government support: “We are grateful for Avançsa’s trust in the X1 Wind project, a sign of our shared commitment to technological innovation, talent development, and contributing to the energy transition in Catalonia and Europe within a global context.”
