Portugal is on the verge of launching a significant opportunity for offshore wind developers as it prepares to issue a “demonstration of interest” call for those interested in establishing offshore wind farms along its Atlantic coast.
In this inaugural auction round, the Portuguese government has revealed plans to forge ahead with offshore wind power projects in specific regions including Viana do Castelo, Leixões, and Figueira da Foz, with the potential to achieve a cumulative capacity of 3.5 gigawatts (GW).
This initiative marks the initial phase of Portugal's ambitious mission to achieve 10GW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2030, backed by an investment ranging from €30 billion to €40 billion.
To commemorate this milestone, Portugal's WavEC Offshore Renewables, a center of excellence, is orchestrating an international seminar in collaboration with the Netherlands Embassy in Lisbon. The event aims to draw global leaders from the offshore wind sector.
Marco Alves, Chief Executive of WavEC, expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming seminar, stating, “We are thrilled to be hosting our annual seminar at such an exciting moment, aligned with the open call for demonstrations of interest and the pre-qualification phase.”
He went on to highlight that the Portuguese government is actively formulating its strategic approach regarding ownership and responsibility structures for the electricity transmission infrastructure installation and the regulatory framework.
Simultaneously, entities like WavEC are lending their support to interested parties, offering expertise in various facets, including legal, environmental, economic, and technical aspects, to enhance their understanding of the auction process. This collaborative effort is poised to create a conducive environment for offshore wind development and foster a sustainable transition towards renewable energy in Portugal.
