La floating offshore wind power It has ceased to be a long-term promise and has become an immediate focus of debate and planning in Spain. The central government's regulatory push, the industry's response, and the fishing sector's reservations are shaping a scenario in which the energy transition's credibility hinges largely on the sea.
Meanwhile Galicia tries to consolidate as one of the most active territories in this new stage, with experimental projects, a already internationalized supply chain and an intense political struggle over the use of maritime space and the distribution of benefits and risks.
First auction for floating offshore wind: terms and open debate
The Ministry for Ecological Transition has launched a prior public consultation to draft the order that will establish the rules for the first competitive bidding process for offshore wind energy in Spain. This step, technical in nature but with strong political implications, will define sensitive elements such as the maritime areas to be tendered, the total power, the execution deadlines and the criteria by which the bids will be assessed.
The consultation is based on the Royal Decree 962 / 2024which mandates the production of renewable electricity at offshore facilities and establishes a unique mechanism to simultaneously assign three key elements: the economic regime, the reservation of capacity for access to the transport network and the priority in the concession of occupation of the public maritime-terrestrial domain.
The Government justifies this move on the Accelerated growth of offshore wind power in Europewith tens of gigawatts already operational, and in the unique geography of Spain: most of the continental shelf is deep, which forces us to rely almost exclusively on floating technology, still less mature than fixed foundations but with considerable industrial potential.
The Roadmap for offshore wind and marine energy maintains the installation of between 1 and 3 GW of offshore wind power in 2030. The public consultation will serve to refine how that range translates into concrete projects, what deployment pace is considered realistic, and what role the different coastal basins will play. For many stakeholders, the speed of deployment This will be crucial to avoid losing our industrial position.
Zones, sizes and criteria: the floating wind energy map at stake
The royal decree restricts deployment to the “high potential areas” defined in the Maritime Spatial Planning Plans (POEM), approved in 2023. The ministerial consultation asks openly which areas should be included in the first call and whether it is advisable to select several competing areas to diversify risks and opportunities.
The sector has repeatedly considered Galicia, Catalonia and the Canary Islands as the main candidates to host the first floating parks. Each region combines different wind conditions, depth, port infrastructure and industrial fabric, which complicates a homogeneous design and requires some regulatory flexibility.
Another sensitive point is the size of the projectsThe ministry is asking for opinions on whether it is preferable to concentrate power in one large park in a specific area or distribute the capacity in several smaller parksIn the background, two objectives intersect: to send clear signals to a supply chain still under construction —shipyards, floating structure manufacturers, ports, offshore service companies— and to prevent overly ambitious mega-initiatives from being blocked by technical, financial or social obstacles.
The consultation also goes into detail about the evaluation criteria of the offers. In addition to the price of energy, the Ministry plans to consider aspects such as the minimization of environmental impact, the industrial and employment contribution, the compatibility with other uses of the sea, the social and institutional support and the technological innovation component.
As a significant new feature, the royal decree allows the criteria not purely economic reach up to a 30% of the scoreThe Government emphasizes that this approach aims to align with the European framework of Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA), which encourages the introduction of requirements linked to responsible business conduct, resilience, cybersecurity or sustainability in renewable energy auctions.
Profitability, risks, and zero-cost hours: the financial puzzle
Beyond the location of the parks, the Ministry for Ecological Transition wants to gather proposals to improve the bankability of projects and to better distribute the risks. Among the open questions are the maximum timeframe for implementation, the duration of the economic regime and the definition of the so-called “maximum delivery period” of energy.
One of the most technical debates, but one with a direct impact on developers' accounts, is the possible indexation of the awarded price to variables such as the price of steel or copper between the award and the start of operations. With a technology so intensive in materialsThe volatility of costs in the supply chain can jeopardize the financial closure of the parks.
The ministry also opens the door to discussing formulas that reduce the exposure of floating offshore wind turbines to the hours at zero price in the wholesale electricity market. The increase in renewable capacity without sufficient storage or demand management has triggered this phenomenon at certain times, introducing uncertainty about the actual revenues of the new plants.
In parallel, the following are being considered mechanisms for citizen participation in financing, so that a portion of the capital and returns can be linked to local investors or energy communities. The consultation also asks what requirements should be mandatory—and not just merit-based criteria—in aspects such as dismantling of the parks at the end of their useful life, an issue increasingly present in social debate. In this regard, proposals gathered in broader analyses of the sector are valued, such as the global panorama.
The procedure requires that the Contributions should be sent using the enabled form. by the Administration, with character limits and the obligation to identify the sender. The ministry itself warns that, unless expressly stated otherwise, responses may be publicly disseminated.
Galicia: experimental platforms and supply chain underway
In this state context, Galicia moves on its own. To avoid losing ground, the Galician government has approved putting the contract out to tender. design of an experimental floating platform intended to study the production and evacuation of energy at sea. The facility, with a budget of 5,7 millones de euros, will be located in the experimental zone of the Outer Port of A Coruña, in Punta Langosteira, and is presented as the first of its kind in Spain.
The prototype will serve to monitor waves and tidesIn addition to testing technical solutions related to floating wind turbines and other marine energy sources, the aim is to generate data and practical experience that will allow for calibrating the true potential of these technologies under Atlantic conditions and reducing uncertainties before commercial deployment.
The president of the Xunta, Alfonso Rueda, has described this area as a “a niche we can explore” He has linked the experiment to a future dialogue process with the maritime and fishing sector. At the same time, he has regretted that the central government did not authorize a similar project in the same area. specific platform for testing floating wind turbine prototypes, despite the fact that Galicia had 20 million euros in committed aid for that purpose.
On the political front, the regional government has also decided to appear before the Constitutional Court In the central government's appeal against Galician regulations on wind power repowering and the automatic homologation of disability in cases of dependency, two issues that, although not directly linked to the sea, are part of the context of jurisdictional friction in energy matters.
The Galician government maintains that repowering of land parks It could reduce the number of wind turbines by around 80% and, at the same time, increase production by around 40% Thanks to more modern machines, an argument used as a reference for what could happen in the future with floating technologies in terms of efficiency and land use.
A Galician industry focused on floating offshore wind power
On the ground, the Galician industry has already taken several steps ahead of the regulations. More than 180 companies in the community They currently work in offshore wind projects internationally, generating around 3.000 direct jobs and other 2.000 indirectThis activity, largely concentrated on floating structures and offshore components, has placed Galicia on the radar of major European developers.
GOE-Asime, the employers' association that represents a large part of this sector, has assessed in a The opening of the public consultation is a positive step. for the first offshore wind auction, although it criticizes the fact that the process is coming late compared to other regions. For the organization, it is a essential step to consolidate an industry that already operates in foreign markets and aspires to capture a substantial part of future orders in Spanish waters.
According to their estimates, the niche for offshore wind energy, and in particular, the floating wind can generate around 5.000 new jobs in the next decade and act as tractor for about 200 companies, among large groups, SMEs and specialized suppliers.
Galicia has internationally renowned companies such as Navantia, Windar or Ocean Wavesbut also with a broad, distributed value chain, which includes more than 60 companies with a significant portion of their revenue already linked to offshore wind and other 120 who collaborate on a case-by-case basis in offshore projects.
The employers' association emphasizes that, of the five unique floating installations currently deployed in European waters, three incorporate Galician componentsThis data is used as a calling card to claim preferential treatment in state planning and an auction schedule that provides stability to ongoing investments.
The auction framework and the role of naval engineering
The announcement of the framework offshore wind auctions in Spain It has also been received with interest by the entire maritime-industrial sector. The Official College of Naval and Ocean Engineers (COIN) interprets the activation of this scheme as a “turning point” which provides legal certainty and allows the transformation of accumulated technical and industrial potential into specific projects.
The College highlights that Spain combines experience in shipbuilding, port infrastructureoffshore services and sufficient engineering capabilities to to lead the floating offshore wind sector internationallyAccording to various sector studies cited by the entity, the deployment of between 1 and 3 GW of power could mobilize up to 10.000 billion euros in five years and generate more than 40.000 direct and indirect jobs.
Naval engineering claims a central role in all phases of the parks' life cycle: from the design of floating platforms and mooring systems...from port logistics, towing and offshore installation, operation, and maintenance. It is emphasized that floating offshore wind is, in essence, a advanced maritime industry which requires knowledge of hydrodynamics, structures, materials and safety in complex environments.
COIN argues that offshore wind should be part of a country's energy strategyaimed at strengthening energy sovereignty, accelerating decarbonization, and consolidating Spain as a maritime industrial power in the 21st century. To achieve this, it calls for coherent policies to support the Technical formation, port planning and orderly coexistence with other uses of the sea.
The vision of naval engineers aligns with that of much of the industry on one point: without a stable auction schedule Without clear medium-term objectives, it will be difficult for shipyards, workshops, and suppliers to make the necessary investments in production capacity, equipment, and qualified personnel.
Fishing conflict: fishing grounds at the center of the debate
In contrast to the industrial enthusiasm, the Galician fishing sector views the advance of floating offshore wind with a mixture of concern and mistrustThe Ministry's push for the terms of the first auction has triggered an immediate reaction from fishermen's guilds and professional organizations, who warn of the risk of occupying historical fishing grounds with energy infrastructure.
The controversy is mainly focused on the planned park facing the coast of A Coruñawhich could reach an area of around 1.800 square kilometers in an area of intense fishing activity. In these waters operate fleets of inshore trawlers, longlines, and driftnets, with catches of hake, monkfish, crayfish, xarda, squid or bonitovital for numerous Galician ports.
Fishing organizations maintain that Scientific studies have not yet been completed Regarding the impact of floating fish farms on ecosystems and on fishing activity itself, he believes the government is accelerating the steps prior to the auctions without yet having a robust assessment of the environmental and socioeconomic consequences.
The Platform in Defense of Fishing and Marine Ecosystems has gone so far as to describe the decision to proceed with the consultation as a "temerity"accusing energy developers of setting the political agenda. The sector invokes the precautionary principle and warns that does not rule out mobilizations nor resort to legal action if the process continues without fully incorporating their allegations.
Fishing industry representatives insist they are not opposed to offshore wind as a concept, but they demand that “It should be done with data, caution, and consensus.”They also demand that the development timeline be based on science, not solely on private interests. Furthermore, they call for a clear assessment of the loss of fishing grounds and potential compensation mechanisms.
Priority fishing areas and the role of the Xunta
One of the main demands of the sector is the establishment of priority fishing zonesThis, they claim, was not adequately addressed in the first cycle of the POEM (Plan for the Management of Fishing Areas). These areas should include historical fishing grounds, spawning grounds, breeding areas with the presence of fry and areas of special ecological sensitivity.
The idea is that, once these areas of high fishing and environmental value have been delimited, an analysis will be carried out to determine if there are any in the remaining space locations where the impact of floating parks is acceptable and compatible with traditional activity. In other words, to reverse the approach: first ensure the protection of certain areas and only then decide where wind power could be developed.
From the Xunta, the Minister of Economy and Industry, María Jesús Lorenzana, has assumed that, under the current conditions, There will be offshore wind development in Galician waters, although the studies are not yet fully completed. The regional government has opted to demand that the regulations be rigorously applied. law on social and economic benefits, with specific compensation for the fishing sector and tangible returns for the territory.
The Galician Administration emphasizes that in the Offshore Wind Observatory Both the companies promoting the projects and the fishermen's associations are represented, which, in theory, should facilitate a more structured dialogue. However, maritime organizations believe that mere presence in these forums does not guarantee that their proposals will be included in the final decisions.
Meanwhile, the Ministry has requested input on how the auction procedure, which areas would be prioritized, whether it is better to opt for a single large park or several medium-sized projects, and what kind of social and environmental commitments will be required of the awardees.
Balancing energy, employment and the marine environment
The irruption of floating wind turbine As a central piece of Spain's naval strategy, it places the country in a complex balancing act. On the one hand, there is a clear opportunity for investment, employment and technological leadership in a technology aligned with the geography of its coasts and with an industry, especially in Galicia, that already participates in international projects.
On the other hand, the deployment of large floating parks in waters of high fishing value It tests the ability of administrations to regulate maritime space, listen to affected sectors, and ensure that the energy transition is not perceived as an imposition from the mainland.
The new auction framework, the planning of high-potential areas, Galicia's commitment to experimental platforms And the growing role of naval engineering in the design of floating solutions paints a rapidly evolving picture. The degree of consensus reached in the coming months—and the technical rigor of the environmental and socioeconomic studies—will be crucial for floating offshore wind to become established as a viable option. decarbonization lever and not as a new front of conflict on the coast.
