The Government approves the management plan that specifies the permitted locations
The exact locations are already known, drawn on the map, where it will be possible to build offshore wind farms in Spain. At the moment, there are numerous projects along the entire national coast, but they were pending the approval of the legal instrument that delimits the suitable spaces for it. The Council of Ministers has approved at its meeting on Tuesday the first plans for the planning of Spain’s maritime space which, among other issues, they delimit the areas in which offshore wind power can be developed, which, as a whole, add up to 5,000 square kilometers, 0.46% of national waters.
The Government has given the green light to a royal decree approving the Maritime Space Management Plans (POEM) of each of the five Spanish maritime demarcations (North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Strait and Alborán, Levantino-Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands), valid until 2027 and reviewable every six years.
This tool searches guarantee that “human activity is carried out respecting ecosystems and the sustainable exploitation of resourcesreducing conflicts and promoting coexistence and synergies between activities”, stated the minister.
For this, the uses are enabled or limited by zones taking into account the protection of protected areas, easements linked to the safety of maritime transport or national defense, added Ribera.
The South Atlantic region, the only one without offshore wind farms
in the demarcation South Atlantic (between the Gulf of Cádiz and the meridian that passes through Cape Espartel), the possibility of installing offshore wind energy facilities is not contemplated.
In the North Atlantic (between the Bay of Biscay and the northern limit of the jurisdictional waters between Spain and Portugal), this technology may be developed in areas totaling 2,688 km2.
in the of Narrow and Alborán (from Cape Espartel and an imaginary line through Cape Gata, as well as Ceuta, Melilla, Chafarinas, Perejil, Peñones de Vélez de la Gomera and Alhucemas and Alborán Island), will be allowed in areas covering 1,222 km2.
In the case of demarcation Levantino-Balearic (between Cabo de Gata and the Golfo de León), the surface is reduced to about 475 km2, and in that of Canary Islands562 km2.
“It is not possible to develop a sustained activity over time if there is no solid foundation for environmental protection. The absolute priority is that ecosystems continue to maintain their renewal capacity,” explained sources from the Ministry for Ecological Transition, responsible for the preparation of the POEMs.
ZUP and ZAP zones
In their design, maritime planning plans “outline” what have been called priority use zones (ZUP) and high potential zones (ZAP).
ZUPs are specific areas in which current uses of general interest are developed, such as protection of biodiversity and cultural heritage. underwater, aggregate deposits for coastal protection, R+D+i, national defense and navigation safety.
For his part, ZAPs are designed for sectoral and general interest activities (including offshore wind) which are expected to be developed in the future. Other cases would be the conservation of biodiversity, deposits of aggregates that could be used for coastal protection, R+D+i, port activity and aquaculture, apart from wind power.
Among those future uses, marine mining is not contemplated because, according to the same source, no developments are foreseen in the coming years (at least until 2027) and because, in any case, Spain is opposed to this activity until the effects on the environment are well known.
5,000 km2, where “it fits more than” the planned capacity
In the case of offshore wind, the possible occupation “does not reach 5,000 million km2, that is, 0.46% of the total”, according to the same source, which added that the five POEMs will be reviewed no later than December 31, 2027.
In that area “there is plenty of room” for the objective of offshore wind capacity established by the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan, between 1 and 3 gigawatts (Gw) in 2030, according to the same source.
“If there has been an element that has marked an insurmountable barrier when it comes to defining the uses of marine space, it has been the preservation of biodiversity values”, followed by maritime transport security and national defense.
“We have abstracted from specific interests for specific points. We have organized the space regardless of planned (business) projects”according to the same source, which has insisted that outside the reserved polygons it will not be possible to develop offshore wind farms.
Those who decide to move on They will need to go through the same steps as “onshore” projects, such as achieving a positive environmental impact statement.
If it is profitable or not to develop them, it is something that each promoter must analyze, the sources have indicated, who have recognized that it is very difficult to know what capacity for wind power there will be at the end of the period and that “it may” that the objectives set in the PNIEC are not achieved.
“Companies have their expectations and identify the areas where they would like to develop their activity. The POEMs establish the places where it is possible to do so without detriment to other environmental values.. We do not know if any project will remain in the drawer” due to lack of viability, according to the sources, who have recalled that the processing of projects corresponds to the Secretary of State for Energy.
All the information from the Ministry on the approved arrangement: https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/costas/temas/proteccion-medio-marino/ordenacion-del-espacio-maritimo/
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Contact of the Environment section: [email protected]