Abstract
The region of Galicia, in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, has a high wind potential for the installation of offshore wind farms (OWFs) in many areas of its surrounding marine waters. However, legal restrictions derived from the protection of other interests that converge in the marine environment (such as fishing, navigation, and biodiversity conservation) must be considered, along with technical limitations resulting from water depth. This study is aimed at analysing legal restrictions on the installation of OWFs in Galician waters and at identifying those zones of less conflict where the wind power density (WPD) is greater and the depths and distances from the coast are technically feasible given the current status of technology in Europe. To do this, a legal study was performed of both the strategic environmental assessment of the Spanish coast and the regulations of the different marine sectors at European, international, national, and regional levels. In addition, the WPD along the north-western area of the Iberian Peninsula and Europe was calculated, and an analysis of maximum and average depths and distances from the coast of planned and installed OWFs in Europe was made. Two main zones without legal and technical restrictions were identified in the north-eastern corner of Galicia and in the south of the Vigo estuary. The greatest WPD was identified in the north-western zone, from Cape Finisterre to Cape Ortegal, where there are small sites without legal or technical restrictions that are near several protected zones (such as a marine reserve, a special protected area, and a wetland and its buffer zone), making necessary a deeper analysis of the specific impacts of each OWF project in the Environmental Impact Assessment.
Highlights
The production of electricity from offshore wind farms (OWFs) is an important source of renewable energy in many European countries, such as the UK, Germany (4108 MW), Denmark (1271 MW), the Netherlands (1118 MW), Belgium (712 MW), and Sweden (202 MW) [1].Spain—especially the region of Galicia, located in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula—has a high offshore wind resource, the exploitation of which could help achieve the national goal established by the Spanish National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP) 2011–2020 of installing 750 MW of offshore wind power in Spanish maritime waters by 2020 [2,3,4,5]
This is due in part to its narrow continental shelf and the difficulty of installing OWFs in shallower waters near the coast because of increased conflict with other interests legally protected by international, European Union (EU) and domestic law that converge in the marine environment, such as those related to the protection of the marine landscape, the recovery of fish stocks, the safety of navigation, the conservation of the marine environment and biodiversity and the development of other permitted activities at sea [2,4,7,8]
This paper provides a multidisciplinary approach which seeks to expand and deepen knowledge on the main legal restrictions that must be considered before planning and developing an offshore wind project in the region of study and to jointly identify those areas where the wind potential is greater, it is technically feasible to install these devices and there are no conflicts with other legally protected interests that converge in the marine environment
Summary
Spain—especially the region of Galicia, located in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula—has a high offshore wind resource, the exploitation of which could help achieve the national goal established by the Spanish National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP) 2011–2020 of installing 750 MW of offshore wind power in Spanish maritime waters by 2020 [2,3,4,5]. This could help meet the European goal of ensuring that at least 20% of final consumption comes from renewable energy sources. The scientific literature and legal doctrine have identified numerous sectors that may be affected by the installation of OWFs:
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
