The First Offshore Wind Congress held in Bilbao on November 22 and 23 brought together nearly 500 offshore wind experts with a focus on offshore wind development in Spain.

In Spain we have the necessary infrastructures to address the development of offshore wind off our coasts to become a world reference in floating offshore wind technology. Our country is the main bastion in floating offshore wind prototypes worldwide and, at the same time, we have powerful port infrastructures and a naval industry with enormous capacities.

In the words of AEE’s CEO, “We thought we would arrive at this inauguration with the maritime spatial plans already approved and with the draft regulatory framework in the consultation phase. Our fear is that this delay could affect the timetable for the first offshore wind auction in our country. If we join forces together, 2023 will be the year when the offshore market takes off in Spain”.

The development of offshore wind power has a high potential to contribute to the industrial development of the country’s economy.

In our country there is a solid industrial fabric focused on the development of this technology, with a marked export character, coming from the leadership and experience acquired during the more than 20 years of implementation of onshore wind power and the synergies with other sectors, in addition to the experiences acquired abroad in the marine field by Spanish companies. In fact, several Spanish shipyards have participated in the construction of floating structures for some of the most important floating offshore wind projects in the world.

The development of offshore wind power will boost the strategic sectors with which it has synergies, such as shipbuilding and shipyards, the auxiliary maritime and port management industry, civil engineering and consulting, the construction industry, as well as the metal industry, among others. For all these sectors, offshore wind has become a key market in their business diversification strategies.

According to AEE estimates, offshore wind energy will create more than 7500 jobs in the country by 2025-2030 and will grow to 17400 jobs by 2045-2050.

At Energía Aeterna we are evaluating what would be the first marine photovoltaic plant in the Canary Islands and we hope to provide more details about it soon. In addition, we have the revolutionary Aromen floating solar system that offers a wide range of possibilities in the islands.

Source: FuturEnergy