Offshore wind energy, an opportunity with favorable wind for Portugal – ECO
There is no doubt that great advances in offshore wind across Europe are expected in the coming years, and Portugal has all the conditions to be one of the countries leading this change.
The saying goes that “who goes to sea, loses his place”, but when we look at the potential of offshore wind energy, the saying applies exactly in the opposite direction: whoever goes to sea, and will know how to take the best advantage of it, will occupy a relevant place in the energy transition that we so badly need to achieve the goals of decarbonizing the planet.
The troubled international context we live in, both in the geostrategic and environmental spheres, has placed the energy sector on the agenda and at the epicenter of this paradigm shift that is shaping the future of society.
The general rise in fuel, electricity and gas prices, the progressive downgrading of thermoelectric power stations combined with periods of severe or extreme drought in Portugal which, at certain times of the year, even lead to the temporary suspension of hydroelectric production, only reinforce not only the need to adopt long-lasting measures, but also the need to increase investment in the installation of new renewable energy conversion systems, such as wind energy.
In fact, offshore wind energy could be one of the keys to meeting these challenges. Global offshore wind capacity quadrupled in the first half of 2022. In total, 6,759MW of offshore wind capacity came on stream during the first six months of 2022, according to data from the World Forum Offshore Wind. There is no doubt that in the coming years, great advances are expected in offshore wind across Europe, namely floating wind, and Portugal has all the conditions to be one of the countries leading this change.
Portugal’s potential
In the Portuguese case, in order to have an idea of the expected growth, it is necessary to take into account that Portugal currently has 25MW of offshore wind energy installed capacity and has the ambition to launch, this year, auctions to reach 10 GW of offshore wind energy by 2030. These numbers unequivocally demonstrate the Portuguese government’s commitment to the goals and objectives for decarbonization, especially when compared to the neighboring country – Spain – which announced a goal of 1 to 3 GW, despite having more resources and greater demand.
However, for the goals to be possible to be achieved, it is equally important to adopt licensing processes adjusted to the chronological ambition of the registered goals. Reinforcing public entities with the means to speed up the licensing process is fundamental, but not only, since the involvement of all those who participate in the value chain will be fundamental for the success of the decarbonization process. And the sooner project promoters initiate dialogue with all those who will be involved in these processes (such as ports, shipyards, local associations, etc.), the better, so that the projects presented at the auction immediately address the needs of all the parties, leaving no one out of the authorization.
The Portuguese government has already created an Interministerial Working Group for the areas of the sea, energy and infrastructure and May 31, 2023 is the deadline for presenting the main recommendations of this Working Group to the responsible members of the Government, such as the format of the auction or tender recommended for the selection of project promoters. And it is essential that these data do not slip if the country wants to meet the planned targets.
It is equally important that tenders for the award of projects include geographical demarcations and that it is clear whether the tenders themselves will be divided into different phases and, if so, what the criteria are for each phase. And that these criteria are respected and adjusted to the defined geographical areas.
It is also essential that companies with experience in the development of floating offshore wind farms are prioritized in the auctions to be launched, as this will guarantee success. The development of technology for floating parks and fixed parks are at very different stages, so the promoters’ portfolio of floating parks must be valued in relation to the parks in operation (which are mostly fixed).
We must not forget that the particularity posed by the fact that Portugal has a narrow continental shelf means that most wind farms cannot be supported by fixed foundations, as the depth grows very quickly near the coast. And, to date, these fixed foundations require a depth of less than 50 meters.
There are numerous advantages that we can take from the creation of floating offshore wind farms on the high seas, such as the greater capacity to generate energy, since the wind force is greater; and the lower visual impact which consequently has less effect on tourism.
If Portugal intends to play a key role in the offshore wind transition and not be left behind, it must launch the auctions as soon as possible, otherwise we will be late in realizing them. For example, after awarding a floating offshore wind farm project, a development time of between 5 and 7 years and a subsequent construction time of between 3 and 5 years are estimated. Only with these average times will we see how challenging it is to meet the targets for 2030.
Offshore wind is a unique opportunity for us to embark on a new journey towards a sustainable environment for people and the planet. The ancient Greeks already pointed to water and the sea as two fundamental elements that explain the world. It is up to all of us to know how to make the best use of this energy with so much potential. And we will not be focused only on the goals for 2030. Because 2030 is already tomorrow.
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