La Spain's first offshore wind energy auction It is emerging as the starting point for the national model for this technology over the next decade. The Marine Section of the Renewable Energy Companies Association, APPA Marina, has taken an official position in the public consultation on the competitive procedure set out in Royal Decree 962/2024, supporting the Government's intention to launch the call this year, but demanding that it be designed with a much broader vision than simply awarding megawatts.
According to the employers' association, This initial bidding process must establish a realistic and balanced industrial framework that allows for the development of technically viable projects, activates a continuous flow of investments and Consolidate a competitive offshore wind supply chain based in SpainOtherwise, they warn, the country risks missing a strategic opportunity in the energy, industrial, and labor sectors.
In its response to the inquiry, the association emphasizes that the competition design and the territorial approach will determine industrial planningThe location of factories and logistics centers, as well as Spain's capacity to attract high value-added projects, are key factors. For APPA Marina, the auction should serve as a catalyst for the development of industry, technology, and skilled employment, and not as an isolated procedure for incorporating renewable energy into the electricity grid.
For APPA Marina, the auction should function as lever for industry developmenttechnology and skilled employment, and not as an isolated procedure to incorporate renewable power into the electricity system.
The organization insists that the country has a significant potential in offshore wind energy, especially floatingBut remember that the real leap forward will only happen if the call for proposals establishes clear and stable signals for the entire value chain: developers, component manufacturers, shipyards, ports, engineering firms, service providers and auxiliary companies.
APPA Marina's approach It is structured around three main axes: territorial diversification and project size, priority given to areas with real industrial and logistical capacity, and regulatory simplification to avoid environmental duplication or new burdens that hinder deployment.
A diversified auction that goes beyond a single region
One of the most repeated messages by the association is that The first call should not be concentrated in a single maritime areaAlthough it acknowledges that the Canary Islands have specific characteristics that warrant their own planning, APPA Marina considers it a mistake to limit the auction exclusively to this archipelago or to leave out other areas with high potential included in the Maritime Space Management Plans (POEM).
In its proposal, the employers' association advocates for Select at least three high wind resource zones identified as High Potential Zones (ZAPER) in different areas of the Spanish coast. The objective of this distribution would be simultaneously activate several industrial hubs in the country, preventing technical learning, job creation and investment from being concentrated only in one specific region.
For each of these zones, APPA Marina suggests medium-sized projects, in the range of 200 to 300 MWThis intermediate scale would allow for maximizing learning, generating sufficient competition among developers, and at the same time, deploying the parks in an orderly manner, without overwhelming industrial capacity or local infrastructure in this first stage.
The association emphasizes that activate multiple value chains in parallel It helps to distribute economic and technological benefits across different regions, fosters innovation, and reduces the risks associated with dependence on a single industrial hub or maritime area. According to the organization, this vision aligns better with the territorial cohesion and reindustrialization objectives of European energy policy.
In this sense, APPA Marina links the territorial structure of the auction to the arrival of new investmentsThis is not only from companies developing wind farms, but also from manufacturers of wind turbines, floating platforms, cables, structures, maritime services, and engineering centers that could decide to set up in Spain if they perceive a horizon of clear and repeated projects over time.
Priority for areas with industrial strength and prepared logistics
Beyond geographical diversity, the association claims that The first areas to come into play will be those that already have a certain industrial base or with realistic options for developing it in the short term. For APPA Marina, the choice of locations must take into account not only the wind resource, but also the existence of ports adaptable to the construction and assembly of structures, adequate logistical infrastructure, and electrical transmission networks capable of evacuating the energy produced.
The document sent to the Administration focuses on the compatibility of these areas with the Transport Network Planning 2025-2030The association requests that only areas where grid connection capacity is properly planned or can be enabled without major delays be auctioned, so that awarded projects can move forward without encountering bottlenecks in the evacuation of their production.
At the same time, APPA Marina underlines the importance of the selected regions have a clear political commitment and with administrative frameworks that allow for reasonably agile processing. In their opinion, awarding projects in areas where administrative management is excessively slow or uncertain would tie up investments and could generate frustration among interested companies. The advance of neighboring countries It demonstrates the relevance of that institutional support.
The employers' association also warns about the risk they pose weak business consortiums or those lacking sufficient industrial and financial solvencyGiven that offshore wind is a capital-intensive technology, with complex projects requiring coordination across a broad supply chain, the entity considers it essential that successful bidders demonstrate a real capacity to complete the wind farms, avoiding awards that remain unfulfilled. In this regard, the procedure should reflect previous experiences in this area. auction models that value the ability to execute.
Along these lines, the association argues that the competition model should incorporate criteria that reward execution capacity and industrial impact on the mere economic offer, so that the bidding favors those who demonstrate experience, solvency and a clear plan to develop activity in the territory and consolidate long-term employment.
Innovative parks to accelerate technological learning
Another key element in APPA Marina's position is the advisability of reserve space in the first auction for innovative or demonstrative projectsThe association understands that, in a context of incipient deployment of floating offshore wind in Spain, having pilot-scale but sufficiently representative parks can make the difference when it comes to consolidating proprietary knowledge and competitive technological solutions.
The president of the section, Pedro MayorgaHe argues that this type of project would allow test new platform designs, installation methods, and operation and maintenance solutions under real sea conditions, prior to a full-scale commercial deployment. This intermediate phase would help Spanish companies to better position themselves in the international value chain.
In the statement released by the association, Mayorga emphasizes that Offshore wind power should not be understood solely as an additional source of clean energybut also as a driver of reindustrialization for the country. From this perspective, the auction should be consistent with a long-term strategy that strengthens national technological leadership and guarantees a continuous portfolio of projects.
The organization indicates that the combination of retail parks and demonstration projects Within the same call for proposals, this would provide a suitable balance between effective energy generation and fostering innovation. This would facilitate the creation of a more robust industrial ecosystem, capable of competing in other European markets once the necessary experience has been acquired.
This vision aligns with the energy priorities of the European Union, which promotes the expansion of offshore wind as a pillar of the energy transition and, at the same time, it promotes the creation of its own value chains to reduce external dependencies and maintain employment linked to the green transition within the European territory.
Avoid duplicate environmental burdens and strengthen legal certainty
In the regulatory sphere, APPA Marina emphasizes the need to not to introduce new environmental requirements in the auction phase that are already covered by the current regulatory framework. The association points out that the Maritime Spatial Planning Plans have delimited the areas suitable for offshore wind energy following a strategic assessment process, and that each specific project must subsequently undergo its own environmental impact assessment.
In the employers' opinion, to intend to thoroughly evaluate all specific environmental aspects at the time of the auction It lacks practical sense, since such detailed analyses belong to a later phase and typically last for several years. Adding new layers of requirements at the competitive stage would, they warn, generate more legal uncertainty, delays, and doubts among investors.
The association also points out that The compatibility of uses of the sea was addressed in Royal Decree 150/2023 Regarding maritime spatial planning. Therefore, any additional criteria introduced into the competitive procedure should be measurable, transparent, and consistent with the provisions of the POEMs, avoiding reinterpretations that conflict with what has already been approved.
For APPA Marina, balance depends on guarantee high environmental standards through existing instruments, without multiplying procedures or overlapping processes. In this way, it would be possible to maintain the protection of the marine environment while offering companies a more stable and predictable regulatory framework.
The entity emphasizes that an auction fraught with regulatory uncertainties This could lead to more conservative offers, less participation, or even a lack of interest from some key players, which would go against the objective of promoting offshore wind as a strategic sector in Spain.
A clear signal to the sector and collaboration with the Administration
In its public communications, APPA Marina insists that The design of this first call for proposals will send a decisive signal to the value chain.How the auction is structured will largely determine whether national and international companies decide to set up factories, engineering centers or logistics bases in the country, or whether they opt for other European markets where more defined support schemes have already been deployed.
The association supports the will expressed by the Third Vice-President and Minister for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Sara Aagesenthat the first offshore wind auction in Spain will be held this year and that this technology will become a stable part of the national energy mix. However, it emphasizes that The urgency to convene the process should not compromise its design quality..
The minister herself has reiterated in different forums that Spain wants offshore wind power to reach wherever it is welcomed.highlighting the country's potential and the importance of capitalizing on it. This proactive approach largely aligns with the industry's demand for a firm timeline and clear rules that allow for medium- and long-term investment planning.
APPA Marina shows itself willing to collaborate closely with the Administration in defining the competition criteria, so that the resulting model combines energy ambition, industrial strength, and a balanced territorial distribution of opportunities. The employers' association argues that a successful design at this initial stage can lay the groundwork for an orderly and competitive rollout in the following years.
Taken together, the association's proposals suggest that The 2026 auction is configured as a strategic tool, capable of aligning energy planning with industrial policy and environmental protection, generating an attractive environment for investment and facilitating Spain's position at the forefront of offshore wind energy in Europe.
With this approach, the renewable energy sector grouped in APPA Marina seeks to ensure that the first Spanish offshore wind auction does not remain a mere administrative formality, but rather marks a turning point in the way energy, industry and territory are integrated: a call for bids that focuses on executable projects, solid supply chains, several regions involved and a clear regulatory framework that reinforces Spain's position on the European offshore wind map.
