Spain accelerates net-zero ambitions with first steps for offshore wind auctions

Just a few weeks ago, we discussed the urgent need for regulatory action to unlock Spain’s maritime potential. Today, that call has been answered. With the official launch of the public consultation for its inaugural offshore wind auction system, Spain is finally making steps to move from potential to reality.

As a Spanish technology developer, this green light is exactly what we have been waiting for. For too long, our sector has warned that despite boasting a naval industry, a maritime-port sector, and the engineering prowess that have already made Spain an international benchmark in the offshore wind value chain, the lack of a clear bidding schedule was creating a bottleneck. This milestone initiates the process of defining the framework for the country’s first competitive bidding procedure, centered on three critical pillars: economic frameworks, grid access, and public domain concessions.

Closing the regulatory gap

Spain aims to reach 1 to 3 GW of floating offshore wind by 2030. This objective represents up to 40% of the EU’s total target for floating wind. The launch of the recent public consultation by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition (MITECO) strikes at the heart of the industry’s concerns. This process is the natural evolution of the Roadmap for the Development of Offshore Wind and Marine Energy, published in December 2021. That document established 23 action lines designed to cement Spain’s position as a global leader in the maritime value chain while ensuring an orderly, environmentally respectful deployment.

By streamlining the path for developers, the government is finally starting to provide the regulatory certainty required for the large-scale, long-term investments that define offshore projects. It’s a necessary step, but the key is to ensure that the timelines for the next milestones are not delayed (draft order, public hearing and public information period, final approval, and launch of the procedure). We need an agile and predictable sequence to secure and consolidate investments.

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