Offshore wind power and Spain's energy challenges

The recent Royal Decree 962/2024, finally establishing the most relevant regulatory framework for the development of offshore wind power in Spain, is intended to be a boost for the deployment of such technology in the coming years. The ‘Roadmap’ published by the Ministry of Industry in 2021 established targets for installed offshore wind power capacity of 1 to 3 GW in 2030, and 40 to 60 MW for other offshore energies. If we consider that, in the UK, the contribution to the offshore wind power installations system, in 2023, amounted to no less than 49.7 TW/h (far exceeding onshore wind power), the numbers speak for themselves. One needs to do little more than peer out of an aircraft window over the white coasts of southern England to see this. Spain is far behind other neighbouring countries in the development of offshore wind power, which is regrettable considering that we have almost 8,000 kilometres of coastline.

Apart from the technical difficulties due to the depth of the seabed of our shelf waters, in the field of renewables, public policies have focused almost exclusively on solar technologies (for obvious reasons of abundant resources) and, to a lesser extent, on onshore wind power. However, we are still partially behind in these fields, if we consider that in Germany (which is certainly less fortunate in terms of climate), self-consumption is light years ahead of Spain in terms of installed capacity.

We are still awaiting the regulatory implementation of the aforementioned Royal Decree 962/2024, which is to determine fundamental aspects for the investment community, such as the bases for companies to present their projects, in a competitive tendering framework, and thus be able to access the legal and economic framework for the promotion of this type of projects (in the offshore areas as defined by the relevant management plans). On this point, it is essential to have sufficient capacity available at the nodes reserved by the Ministry and, not least, to count on the technical conditions that enable access to offshore energy grids. The role of the system operator will, once more, be decisive for offshore wind energy to become a reality and, in this regard, substantial investment, along with an increase in demand, will be necessary.

Spain is dramatically exposed to the effects of climate change, and it is essential that the goals enshrined in the Climate Change Act supporting energy mix for 2030, which is just around the corner, and 2050 (zero emissions) are not merely aspirational. To this end, the public authorities must create suitable frameworks that favour capital investment, both domestic and foreign, as otherwise it will be impossible to meet them. And not only for offshore wind energy, but also with regard to storage, hybridisation of projects, onshore wind repowering, renewable gases and waste-to-fuels.

These frameworks require an actual streamlining of the administrative handling of projects. The reference in section 8 of the aforementioned Royal Decree 962/2024 to a ‘public discussion stage involving the stakeholders affected by offshore renewable installations, the purpose of which will be to promote social acceptance of the installations and their integration or coexistence with other uses of the sea (...)’ could trigger an unwanted storm that could lead to the ‘not in my backyard’ movement, which has caused so many problems to onshore wind energy, hindering such technologies, as is the case today in large regions of Spain (Galicia, for example). This was somehow recently anticipated by the Chairman of Iberdrola, while inaugurating the largest offshore wind farm in France.

In a macro discussion environment on the industrial plans that will ensure the future of the European Union, Spain's role as the ideal platform for energy transition must be key, for once in our history. We have ample natural conditions plus the technical, human and business capacity to make this happen. Our sea must add offshore wind power to the treasures it already offers in the form of fish, seafood and tourism.