Spanish roadmap ‘a brilliant start’ for country’s floating wind industry

“The roadmap will significantly accelerate the deployment of floating wind technology in Spain. What the industry now needs is a reliable timeline for upcoming auctions for offshore wind.”

WindEurope has previously stated that – to ensure offshore wind development is delivered with the lowest costs for consumers and tax-payers – the Spanish Government should follow the lead of many other countries and introduce contracts for difference as the financial mechanism for developing offshore wind. Doing so will significantly reduce financing costs for offshore wind projects and increase investment security, it said.

The roadmap allocates at least €200M to research and innovation in offshore wind between 2021 and 2023 and calls for the creation of public-private hub for offshore wind. Funds will be made available to demonstrate new technology, for testing and prototyping, in order to position Spain as a leader in the floating wind sector.

The roadmap also promotes the concept of a circular economy for the offshore wind supply chain, with a focus on designing for recyclability and places special emphasis on ensuring the installation and operation of offshore windfarms is compatible with other activities in the marine environment and with other users of the sea.

*Floating wind will be a key theme at WindEurope’s next major conference and exhibition, the WindEurope Annual Event 2022, which is returning to Bilbao, Spain, 5-7 April 2022.