The Canary Islands presents its offshore wind energy strategy in Bilbao to representatives of entities and companies in the sector, both national and European, within the framework of the Wind Europe 2022 fair.
The Canarian executive thus expresses a high interest in the development of offshore wind energy in the archipelago, pending the Ministry of Ecological Transition determining where offshore wind energy could be framed in the islands.
The wind force, the depth, the different effects of the area in question, or the proximity to an electrical substation on land are key variables when identifying which maritime spaces can be developed as wind farms. Another of the requirements identified for the viability of an offshore wind farm is that the slope of the seabed is less than 20%.
The spatial planning plan for the maritime demarcation of the Canary Islands (POEM) has not yet been made official, so there is still no regulation governing the sector, despite having the published draft since 2020 that anticipates where offshore wind energy would be framed in the islands.
That first diagnosis by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge identified the east coast of Lanzarote as being of interest for the development of offshore wind energy.
Canary Islands presents its strategy at the Wind Europe Fair
The Minister of Ecological Transition of the Canary Islands has analyzed in Bilbao the future prospects of this sector with representatives of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge and the Basque Government. During his speech, Valbuena stated that the potential of offshore wind energy that the Canary Islands has "is important" and works with the idea that it will play "a relevant role when it comes to reaching the decarbonization target set for 2040: to have around 2,400 megawatts installed."
He has also transmitted "the planning exercise" carried out in the islands. "It allows us to guarantee that these energy resources that we have in the sea can be perfectly reconciled with marine resources from the point of view of fishing activity and, above all, with an exquisite protection of the enormous biodiversity that our waters harbor," added Valbuena.
