Fourteen regions along the Atlantic Arc have united to support offshore wind development, with six of them from Spain. The declaration came during the Wind Euro Conference as part of the Atlantic Arc Commission’s Basque Country event, titled Renewable marine energies in the Atlantic: paving the way for EU leadership.
Those who signed the agreement offered six recommendations to national governments and the European Union. The aim is to strengthen energy autonomy for member states and help the EU reach climate neutrality by 2050. The recommendations are:
1. Confirm the geopolitical and strategic importance of offshore renewable energy development in the Atlantic.
2. Enable efficient multilevel energy management to mobilize industrial value chains in support of new offshore renewable energy parks.
3. Back the industry’s call to simplify permitting to meet international targets promptly.
4. Improve access to financing for offshore renewable energy projects in the initial development phase.
5. Protect marine ecosystems and biodiversity while supporting local citizens’ assemblies to promote social acceptance of marine renewable energy projects.
6. Encourage greater collaboration on renewable energy in the high seas at the Atlantic level, and embed this ambition in a future Atlantic macro-region.
experimental parks
At the request of the Government of Asturias, several proposals were added with the consensus of the other signatories. They recognize offshore wind power as a key element for deep energy transitions and its potential to safeguard electricity supply security.
Offshore wind farms are offshore structures that generate electricity from wind power. The main advantage is that winds over the sea tend to be steadier and stronger than on land because there are fewer obstacles. The result is often higher efficiency in electricity production.
Offshore wind technology mirrors onshore methods: turbines placed at sea convert wind energy into electrical power. The uninterrupted winds at sea create more regular wind speeds, improving turbine performance and energy output.
inexhaustible energy
Proponents point to offshore wind energy as a clean, renewable option because the platforms used can be designed to minimize environmental impacts while delivering stable, sustainable power.
A recent report from WindEurope, Offshore Wind in Europe: Key Trends and Statistics 2018, published in early 2019, notes that European wind farms typically operate at average water depths around 27 meters, with an average distance of roughly 27 kilometers from shore and an offshore footprint extending up to about 33 kilometers out to sea.
The United Kingdom leads Europe in installed offshore wind capacity, accounting for about 44 percent of total installations, followed by Germany, Denmark, Belgium, and the Netherlands in smaller shares. In Spain, a proposed offshore wind farm about 30 kilometers off the coast of A Coruña has faced environmental scrutiny. The project is under review by Spain’s Ecological Transition Ministry and faces concerns about its impact on several bird protection zones, including those along the Costa da Morte and nearby coastal areas.
The project developer has not yet begun licensing procedures, and environmental groups have urged careful assessment of potential impacts on birds. A representative from the project team has indicated openness to pilot studies that would thoroughly evaluate site conditions before any full-scale installation.
For more information about the Wind Euro conference, see Wind Europe 2022 events and reports (WindEurope, 2022).