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28-02-2023, 08:32 PM
Noticias:
The Spanish government defines 4 areas of high potential in offshore wind in the Canary Islands.
The Council of Ministers approved on Tuesday the Maritime Spatial Planning Plans (POEM) of the five maritime demarcations, which map the million square meters of the Spanish marine surface and contemplate the possibility of deploying wind generation parks in up to 5,000 square kilometers of Spanish marine surface. The offshore wind farms in the Canary Islands, closer to being a reality, advances Europa Press.
Although in Lanzarote parks are proposed that could be 1.8 kilometers from the coast, in Fuerteventura the initial approach of the ministry proposes distances of between 7 and 35 kilometers from the coast, in two situations: One possibility is a wide space off the east coast in the central part of the island and a smaller location off the coast of Puerto del Rosario.
During the press conference after the meeting of the Executive, the third vice president of the Government, Teresa Ribera, stressed that the objective of these first plans for the period 2022-2027 is to achieve a sustainable development of the uses of the sea so that a coexistence of activities is achieved in the five Spanish marine demarcations.
Specifically, the POEM identify Priority Use Areas for activities of general interest and High Potential Areas where maritime sectors and possible future uses prevail in the five areas: North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Strait and Alboran, Levantine-Balearic and Canarian.
For the Government, this is a transversal strategic instrument that allows an optimal use of maritime space, reducing conflicts and promoting coexistence and synergies, which is carried out for the first time in our country.
In particular, priority use areas (SPAs) develop uses of general interest such as biodiversity protection; environmentally assessed aggregate deposits for coastal protection; the protection of underwater cultural heritage; R+D+i; National Defense and Safety at Navigation.
In addition, the high-potential areas plans pay special attention to sectoral activities and those of general interest that could be developed in the future the conservation of biodiversity; aggregate deposits that could be used for coastal protection; R+D+i; port activity; the development of offshore wind energy and aquaculture.
Ribera has compared this marine cartography with terrestrial urban development plans, insofar as they evaluate and order the different uses and areas where it is possible to develop activities; At the same time, they introduce limitations where there is priority interest, such as areas that have environmental protection figures, or in easement zones or that have to do with maritime transport or linked to security and national defense.
The minister stressed that in its preparation, which has lasted four years, all the actors of public and private institutions, scientific and research entities such as CEDEX or the IEO have participated, as well as local administrations that felt challenged by the management of these maritime spaces.
In any case, given that these are the first POEM, he added that during this first cycle it will be possible to learn to, where appropriate, improve or update the following plans in their next review, since those approved this Tuesday will be valid until December 31, 2027.
Specifically, the plans incorporate a management of the priority uses of areas with high potential for different activities that are developed or that may want to be developed in the coming years looking for synergies or prioritization criteria.
In the opinion of the vice president, among the "most novel" aspects of this mapping of marine areas of activity is that it identifies where it can be carried out, for example, the extraction of aggregates for use in tasks such as beach restoration; or that some spaces are destined to innovation activities of R + D + i that explain the "important weight" that Spain has in terms of offshore wind patents, for example such as those developed in experimental areas of the Canary Islands or the Basque Country or in aquaculture.
Ribera stressed that the maps bring together the combination of such criteria in the five marine demarcations and establishes where prohibitions are introduced or uses that "may be aspirations of other groups" are enabled.
In any case, the limitations especially affect the areas of cetacean corridors, national defense, maritime security, areas where other uses are "very restricted", given that the POEM must guarantee the protection of ecosystems, habitats and sensitive and vulnerable species, including those protected by regional, national or supranational regulations.
Spanish maritime spatial planning responds to compliance with Directive 2014/89/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 2014 establishing a framework for maritime spatial planning. In Spain, this Directive has been incorporated into our legal system as a regulatory development of Law 41/2010, of December 29, on the protection of the marine environment (Royal Decree 363/2017, of April 8, which establishes a framework for maritime spatial planning).
OFFSHORE WIND FARMS IN THE CANARY ISLANDS, TWO KILOMETRES OFF THE COAST
MITECO sources have explained in a briefing that these maps neither prohibit nor allow, but only order the spaces. Specifically, the plans establish 19 potential polygons that touch the 5,000 kilometers of surface, that is, 0.46 percent of the million square kilometers of the Spanish marine surface, in which around 1 gigawatt of wind power can be deployed until 2030 as contemplated by the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) without compromising the good state of the seas.
According to ministerial calculations, that gigawatt of offshore wind can fit more than enough in those 5,000 square meters that are the maximum possible surface, since a single large park can reach that goal, although at the moment it is unknown if these areas will be filled in the next six years.
Specifically, the new cartography establishes the minimum distances to the coast that vary depending on each marine demarcation since neither the marine floors nor the tourist interests are the same throughout the coastal perimeter, which conditions the developments.
For example, in the North Atlantic demarcation, the minimum distance of a possible offshore wind project to the coast is 21 kilometers and the maximum, 31 kilometers. However, in the Canary Islands, there is a wind estate at 1,850 meters in Lanzarote, while in Roses (Gerona) the polygon 'Leva 1' is located 12 kilometers from the coast and 'Leva2' in Menorca 5 kilometers from the coast.
Although, from the Miteco insist that if there has been a barrier to the use of these spaces is the preservation of biodiversity that has been decisive to locate offshore wind by areas with traffic light signage: red, prohibition, and yellow, restriction.
Specifically, for the delimitation of uses in areas of high potential, the Ministry has assessed the availability of the wind resource; the non-affection of marine biodiversity or other uses of general interest such as safety in navigation and national defense; the reduction of conflicts of other uses and activities present such as fishing, aquaculture, tourism.
link to article for map
The Spanish government defines 4 areas of high potential in offshore wind in the Canary Islands.
The Council of Ministers approved on Tuesday the Maritime Spatial Planning Plans (POEM) of the five maritime demarcations, which map the million square meters of the Spanish marine surface and contemplate the possibility of deploying wind generation parks in up to 5,000 square kilometers of Spanish marine surface. The offshore wind farms in the Canary Islands, closer to being a reality, advances Europa Press.
Although in Lanzarote parks are proposed that could be 1.8 kilometers from the coast, in Fuerteventura the initial approach of the ministry proposes distances of between 7 and 35 kilometers from the coast, in two situations: One possibility is a wide space off the east coast in the central part of the island and a smaller location off the coast of Puerto del Rosario.
During the press conference after the meeting of the Executive, the third vice president of the Government, Teresa Ribera, stressed that the objective of these first plans for the period 2022-2027 is to achieve a sustainable development of the uses of the sea so that a coexistence of activities is achieved in the five Spanish marine demarcations.
Specifically, the POEM identify Priority Use Areas for activities of general interest and High Potential Areas where maritime sectors and possible future uses prevail in the five areas: North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Strait and Alboran, Levantine-Balearic and Canarian.
For the Government, this is a transversal strategic instrument that allows an optimal use of maritime space, reducing conflicts and promoting coexistence and synergies, which is carried out for the first time in our country.
In particular, priority use areas (SPAs) develop uses of general interest such as biodiversity protection; environmentally assessed aggregate deposits for coastal protection; the protection of underwater cultural heritage; R+D+i; National Defense and Safety at Navigation.
In addition, the high-potential areas plans pay special attention to sectoral activities and those of general interest that could be developed in the future the conservation of biodiversity; aggregate deposits that could be used for coastal protection; R+D+i; port activity; the development of offshore wind energy and aquaculture.
Ribera has compared this marine cartography with terrestrial urban development plans, insofar as they evaluate and order the different uses and areas where it is possible to develop activities; At the same time, they introduce limitations where there is priority interest, such as areas that have environmental protection figures, or in easement zones or that have to do with maritime transport or linked to security and national defense.
The minister stressed that in its preparation, which has lasted four years, all the actors of public and private institutions, scientific and research entities such as CEDEX or the IEO have participated, as well as local administrations that felt challenged by the management of these maritime spaces.
In any case, given that these are the first POEM, he added that during this first cycle it will be possible to learn to, where appropriate, improve or update the following plans in their next review, since those approved this Tuesday will be valid until December 31, 2027.
Specifically, the plans incorporate a management of the priority uses of areas with high potential for different activities that are developed or that may want to be developed in the coming years looking for synergies or prioritization criteria.
In the opinion of the vice president, among the "most novel" aspects of this mapping of marine areas of activity is that it identifies where it can be carried out, for example, the extraction of aggregates for use in tasks such as beach restoration; or that some spaces are destined to innovation activities of R + D + i that explain the "important weight" that Spain has in terms of offshore wind patents, for example such as those developed in experimental areas of the Canary Islands or the Basque Country or in aquaculture.
Ribera stressed that the maps bring together the combination of such criteria in the five marine demarcations and establishes where prohibitions are introduced or uses that "may be aspirations of other groups" are enabled.
In any case, the limitations especially affect the areas of cetacean corridors, national defense, maritime security, areas where other uses are "very restricted", given that the POEM must guarantee the protection of ecosystems, habitats and sensitive and vulnerable species, including those protected by regional, national or supranational regulations.
Spanish maritime spatial planning responds to compliance with Directive 2014/89/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 2014 establishing a framework for maritime spatial planning. In Spain, this Directive has been incorporated into our legal system as a regulatory development of Law 41/2010, of December 29, on the protection of the marine environment (Royal Decree 363/2017, of April 8, which establishes a framework for maritime spatial planning).
OFFSHORE WIND FARMS IN THE CANARY ISLANDS, TWO KILOMETRES OFF THE COAST
MITECO sources have explained in a briefing that these maps neither prohibit nor allow, but only order the spaces. Specifically, the plans establish 19 potential polygons that touch the 5,000 kilometers of surface, that is, 0.46 percent of the million square kilometers of the Spanish marine surface, in which around 1 gigawatt of wind power can be deployed until 2030 as contemplated by the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) without compromising the good state of the seas.
According to ministerial calculations, that gigawatt of offshore wind can fit more than enough in those 5,000 square meters that are the maximum possible surface, since a single large park can reach that goal, although at the moment it is unknown if these areas will be filled in the next six years.
Specifically, the new cartography establishes the minimum distances to the coast that vary depending on each marine demarcation since neither the marine floors nor the tourist interests are the same throughout the coastal perimeter, which conditions the developments.
For example, in the North Atlantic demarcation, the minimum distance of a possible offshore wind project to the coast is 21 kilometers and the maximum, 31 kilometers. However, in the Canary Islands, there is a wind estate at 1,850 meters in Lanzarote, while in Roses (Gerona) the polygon 'Leva 1' is located 12 kilometers from the coast and 'Leva2' in Menorca 5 kilometers from the coast.
Although, from the Miteco insist that if there has been a barrier to the use of these spaces is the preservation of biodiversity that has been decisive to locate offshore wind by areas with traffic light signage: red, prohibition, and yellow, restriction.
Specifically, for the delimitation of uses in areas of high potential, the Ministry has assessed the availability of the wind resource; the non-affection of marine biodiversity or other uses of general interest such as safety in navigation and national defense; the reduction of conflicts of other uses and activities present such as fishing, aquaculture, tourism.
link to article for map