Principle Power has appointed João Amaral as its new Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Julian Arrilaga Costa. The leadership transition marks a new phase of commercial growth for the floating wind technology company as the sector continues to scale globally.
Amaral joins Principle Power from French independent power producer Voltalia, where he served as Group Chief Technology Officer, overseeing technology strategy across wind, solar, hydro, storage and biomass. With over 20 years of experience in renewable energy, he has led multidisciplinary teams through the delivery of complex projects worldwide.
Principle Power’s Chairman and Ocean Winds COO, Bautista Rodríguez, said: “João brings a proven track record in growth, technology, and industrialisation that aligns perfectly with Principle Power’s ambition to keep making floating offshore wind a reality for the energy transition. This transition ensures continuity for our stakeholders and reinforces Principle Power’s position as floating wind enters a new phase of scale.”
Driving the next phase of floating wind growth
Under Amaral’s leadership, Principle Power aims to expand the industrialisation of its WindFloat® platform, leveraging 13 years of operational experience and data from 105 MW of floating wind projects. The company’s WindFloat® technology is currently deployed at the 25 MW WindFloat Atlantic project in Portugal, the 48 MW Kincardine Offshore Wind Farm in Scotland, and the 30 MW Les Éoliennes Flottantes du Golfe du Lion (EFGL) project in France.
“Floating wind is maturing, and Principle Power is well positioned with proven execution, validated processes and an experienced team,” Amaral said. “We will continue to leverage our data advantage and build on our industrial alliances to further reduce costs and strengthen competitiveness as floating wind scales globally.”
Proven technology and global track record
Principle Power’s WindFloat® platforms have delivered more than 1 TWh of clean electricity with zero lost-time incidents, enduring Atlantic and North Sea weather conditions including 20-metre waves and wind speeds equivalent to a Category 4 typhoon. The company now holds exclusivity agreements to supply WindFloat® technology to over 14 GW of projects worldwide.
Outgoing CEO Julian Arrilaga Costa will remain with the company in an advisory role through the end of the year to ensure a smooth handover.
