Articles | Volume 11, issue 11
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-11-4237-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-11-4237-2026
Research article
 | 
12 Nov 2026
Research article |  | 12 Nov 2026

Economic viability of floating offshore wind in Portugal with varying market conditions and financial support mechanisms

Craig White, José Cândido, and Ciaran Frost

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Cited articles

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Beiter, P., Musial, W., Smith, A., Kilcher, L., Damiani, R., Maness, M., Sirnivas, S., Stehly, T., Gevorgian, V., Mooney, M., and Scott, G.: A Spatial-Economic Cost-Reduction Pathway Analysis for U.S. Offshore Wind Energy Development from 2015–2030, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, NREL/TP-6A20-66579, https://doi.org/10.2172/1324526, 2016. 
Beiter, P., Guillet, J., Jansen, M., Wilson, E., and Kitzing, L.: The enduring role of contracts for difference in risk management and market creation for renewables, Nat. Energy, 9, 20–26, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-023-01401-w, 2024. 
Bilbao-Terol, A., Cañal-Fernández, V., and Gónzalez-Pérez, C.: Evaluating Energy Security using Choquet Integral: analysis in the southern E.U. countries, Ann. Oper. Res., 355, 721–763, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-023-05748-x, 2025. 
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This paper presents a realistic assessment of the economic case for floating offshore wind development in Portugal. The site of one of the first demonstrator projects but as yet still to develop into commercialization. Updated costs and CfD (contract for difference) revenue mechanisms assess the current economic performance and are presented with a range of maps that aim to clearly show which areas show promise and which may bring more challenges. 
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