New regulation clears way for offshore renewables in Spain

The Ministry for Ecological Transition will also support the manufacture of renewable and storage technologies

The Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (Miteco) has published the text of the draft Royal Decree that will regulate the production of electricity in installations located at sea. According to the proposed regulation, the process will be simplified, through a competitive procedure, by simultaneously granting the economic system for renewable energy, the reservation of grid access and the concession to use the maritime public domain.

The Ministry's goal, detailed in the Offshore Wind and Marine Energy Roadmap and in the update to the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan 2023-2030, is to reach three gigawatts peak of installed offshore wind capacity by 2030, in addition to 60 megawatts peak from other offshore renewable sources. According to the Government of Spain's forecast, this initiative will generate significant economic activity and around 40,000 jobs.

Demonstrated capacity
The optimism of Miteco's forecast is based on proven factors, such as the capacity demonstrated by the wind and maritime industries in Spain and experience in designing, scaling and demonstrating new technologies. In fact, Spain is home to more R&D facilities in this industry than any of its European partners, including the Canary Islands Oceanic Platform (Plocan), the Biscay Marine Energy Platform (BiMep) and the Punta Langosteira Experimental Marine Energy Zone (La Coruña), the world's second largest test bed for wave energy.

The public consultation that is now open, prior to the approval of the future regulation, follows the Maritime Spatial Management Plan with which Miteco has allocated areas of Spanish waters for different uses, such as fishing, shipping and energy production. In this plan, 5,000 square kilometres were set aside for installing floating offshore wind turbines in 19 high potential areas (HPAs).

Manufacturing and storage aid
Miteco has also issued a draft order for public consultation, establishing the regulatory basis for support to the industrial value chain in renewable energy and storage. Over 750 million euros in grants will be allocated in the first call to manufacture equipment contributing to the transition to a net-zero emissions economy.

This call aims to encourage the production of essential equipment and components for solar  panels, batteries, wind turbines, heat pumps and electrolysers. The grants are part of the Strategic Project for the Recovery and Economic Transformation of Renewable Energy, Hydrogen and Storage (PERTE ERHA). The funds for these come from the Addendum to the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (RRTP), and will be managed on a competitive basis by the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE).

Photo: Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge