Ignacio Galán, CEO of Iberdrola, visited the shipyard on Tuesday, 18 August 2026, Astilleros Ría de Vigo where a vessel is being built for the British operator Bibby Marine an electrically powered Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (eCSOV) with more than 24 MWh of battery capacity—reportedly the largest storage system of its kind in the world. The vessel is designed to operate and commission offshore wind farms and is intended to reduce emissions from maritime services.
Galán was accompanied by representatives of the shipyard and Bibby Marine. Specialists from Seaplace also took part in the tour; the Spanish engineering company is responsible for designing the new vessel. The project highlights a technical link between Galicia’s shipbuilding industry in Vigo and the international offshore wind sector.
Iberdrola emphasises that maritime logistics and service vessels are central to the value chain for offshore wind. The company points to ongoing activity in several markets, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany and France. According to the group, investment to date in this segment totals around 13,000 million euros, with installed capacity of approximately 3,200 megawatts. The projects currently under construction are East Anglia 2 and East Anglia 3 in the United Kingdom, as well as Windanker in Germany, with a combined capacity of around 2,700 megawatts; these projects are expected to trigger additional investment worth billions. The East Anglia 1 North project also has the necessary permits.
For Spain’s industry, construction of the eCSOV is a signal: it generates orders for highly specialised components—from energy storage and electric propulsion systems to maritime equipment—and strengthens expertise in low-emission technologies. The project also forms part of Iberdrola’s wider electrification strategy, which targets efficiency gains and a lower CO2 intensity across the entire supply chain. For operators such as Bibby Marine, operational safety is a focus alongside emissions reduction, for example through the design of energy and propulsion packages for use in harsh offshore conditions.
No specific information about costs or delivery dates was provided in connection with the visit. What is clear, however, is the immediate context: construction progress on a large-scale battery-powered work vessel in Vigo, underscoring Spain’s role as a base for energy-transition maritime technologies.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).