Heading towards offshore wind energy: This is how Spain faces this challenge

Where a need meets an opportunity

Offshore wind energy is expected to be one of the key players in the necessary energy transition. Over the next few decades, its contribution to electricity production will probably match that of onshore wind energy and it may even surpass it. And there is no lack of reasons to think about the decisive role of this source:

• Advances in floating offshore installations are opening the door to deployment in deep waters, with the corresponding multiplication of possible locations. In this way, electricity generation can be increased, other positive impacts can be favoured and negative ones avoided.
• For the moment, it has been underexplored, so there is holds a great potential for it to contribute to electricity generation and the reduction of emissions. It should be borne in mind that the first projects are usually planned in the most favourable locations.
• Its development should stimulate R+D+i that will increase the benefits and decrease the costs and risks with regard to other forms of marine energy, especially wave power. Ultimately, they share decisive factors for the success of a whole series of technologies, such as knowledge of the marine environment.

It seems clear, therefore, that a long-term effort and commitment to offshore wind and other marine energies is necessary. And Spain is one of the countries that has a great capacity to provide a firm and positive response. Beyond its exposure to the sea, it has a long history in key fields such as shipbuilding and steel industries, and marine research. This means that a global need finds an opportunity to increase the competitiveness of the national economy.

Promotion resulting from the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan

The Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan establishes three main milestones with regard to offshore wind and other marine energies:

• The publication at the end of 2021 of a dedicated roadmap.
• A number of regulatory measures, with special mention for the Maritime Area Planning Plans (POEM in Spanish), approved on 28 February 2023 by Royal Decree 150/2023. Among other aspects, this regulation helps to delimit where these activities can be carried out.
• New projects, technologies and installations of offshore renewable energy infrastructures. An example of this is the programme called Renmarinas Demos, announced by TED Order/1204/2022, of 2 December.

Together with this initial promotion, it should be taken into account that in 2025 the roadmap is scheduled to be updated and renewed.

The energy sources in the roadmap for offshore wind and marine energy

The roadmap focuses on three blocks of electricity generation technologies:

• Offshore wind energy, which is the main focus of the roadmap. The reason is that it has high potential and is a more mature technology.
• Floating photovoltaic energy, which focusses on structures located on inland water masses and, more experimentally, offshore.
• Other types of marine energies including wave energy, tidal energy, and marine currents and those that take advantage of differences in temperature or salinity. They are less mature energies, but they also have great potential.

What opportunities are we expected to be able to make use of?

These energies represent an opportunity for the Spanish economy for a number of reasons:

• Diversification: They can represent a fairly stable source of demand for sectors such as the naval industry, electrical systems, steel industry, ports and civil engineering companies, as well as other highly strategic sectors. Some of them have experienced years of falling demand and employment.
• Potentially innovative: An innovative ecosystem is emerging around these energy sources, in which progress made by companies and technologies benefit others and provide benefits for the economy as a whole.
• Territorial Cohesion: It has been observed that the locations of key facilities for the value chain related to these industries are spread across many places in Spain, both on the coast and inland.
• Experience: It is both a matter of taking advantage of the accumulated knowledge in key sectors, and of continuing to incorporate knowledge that provides future cost advantages for Spanish companies.

The objectives of the roadmap

The roadmap sets out four objectives:

Spain as a reference centre for new offshore solutions

It is felt that Spain can be at the forefront in the development and testing of these types of solutions because of the climatological, geographical and maritime conditions and current resources with regard to infrastructure. From there, the aim is to promote R+D+i and achieve a reduction in the time to market. To achieve this, measures such as the following are proposed:

• Trial platforms for prototypes and pre-commercial projects.
• Technological development programs.
• A plug & play framework for the substitution of experimental prototypes.
• Improved knowledge of the marine environment.

Consolidation and strengthening of the value chain

Given the availability of already existing sectors that enable the development of this value chain, the aim is to identify the needs of each area. It is also intended to promote synergies between this new business ecosystem related to these energies and the rest of the Spanish and European economy. In this sense, the proposed measures go through different areas:

• Evaluation of the port industry.
• Monitoring and support of the sector.
• Training.
• Creation of forums and working groups.
• Development of coastal zones.
• Promotion of eco-design.
• Communication campaigns.

Framework for commercial deployment

In particular, the predictability and certainty of the regulatory framework should be increased. In this regard, the three key aspects are spatial planning, connection to the grid and the business model. The measures designed for this purpose include the following:

• The POEMs.
• Geographic viewers with relevant information for the sector.
• Coordination of the access and connection framework and new models for the management of electricity grids.
• Adaptation of the administrative framework for the authorisation of offshore renewable installations.
• A framework to boost investment.
• Early development of offshore wind deployment in the Canary Islands.
• Guide to environmental and biodiversity guidelines.
•  Creation of a technical office for the deployment of these energies.

Strengthening social and environmental sustainability

It is proposed as a prerequisite to define the areas with the lowest impact and greatest suitability for the implementation of these energies. To achieve this, rather than proposing specific measures, the aim is to improve the protection framework and ensure the compatibility of uses and activities.

In short, the "Roadmap for the development of offshore wind and marine energies" is pointing out the way. The R+D+i processes and the continuous adaptation to changes in the environment are expected to open new paths. We will have to keep an eye on the revision of the roadmap in 2025.

Endesa's renewable, sustainable and green tariff

Endesa is concerned that the energy you consume should come from ecological sources and be respectful of the environment, providing you with all the tools you need to build a better future for the planet.

This is why we offer you the Única Tariff, a tariff that supplies you with energy that comes from inexhaustible sources such as the sun, the wind and water, whose production does not affect the ecosystem, and with energies that obtain a Green Energy certificate granted by the CNMC.